VIFF 2021: Kicking Blood
Canada | Blaine Thurier
Robbie (Luke Bilyk) and Anna (Alanna Bale) cross paths courtesy of a “meet macabre:” he’s a despondent alcoholic in desperate need of a drink, while she’s a high-on-hemoglobin immortal who’s looking for her latest fix. Unexpectedly enchanted with his take-it-or-leave-it approach to life, a disarmed Anna stows Robbie away in her sanctuary so that he can sober up. In turn, she becomes determined to wane herself off blood so that she might truly live again. But her newfound nurturing instincts don’t sit well with her vampire brethren…
Operating in the same vein as Larry Fessenden’s Habit and Abel Ferrera’s The Addiction, Blaine Thurier’s latest idiosyncratic genre piece explores the more metaphorical elements of vampirism with considerable inventiveness and precisely the right measure of irreverence. Enigmatic and alluring, Bale is a revelation as Anna, proving equally compelling in instances of predatory hedonism (“I’m going to suck your blood and get high as f**k,” she declares.) and existential freefall. Sensual and soulful, Kicking Blood reminds us that humanity can be a slippery concept.
Friday, October 1
Doors 8:30 pm | Movie 9:00 pm *Please arrive on time.
Sunday, October 3
Doors 12:30 pm | Movie 1:00 pm *Please arrive on time.
Tickets for all Vancouver International Film Festival screenings at the Rio Theatre are managed through VIFF, and can be made in advance via their ticketing service at www.viff.org. Tickets may be purchased at the box office; subject to availability.
Due to reduced capacity, advance tickets are recommended for all shows to ensure entry and seating.
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