Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” was first published in in July of 1890 (per Wikipedia.org), and I think storytellers around the world have been playing with the idea of art versus reality in surprising ways ever since.
To summarize the premise of the tale, Dorian Gray sells his soul essentially in exchange for a shot at living youth eternal: while he’s allowed to engage in a somewhat hedonistic existence, it is only his portrait that magically ages, showing the extent to which a life of excess leaves on his mortal flesh rendered in oils. But this formula – of reality and the supernatural being linked by a work of art – has been tweaked many times over the years for the benefit of Horror fans. 1965’s Color Me Blood Red details the comic twist of a painter finally finding success once he resorts to using human blood in his medium. 2015’s The Devil’s Candy saw a struggling artist having to come to grips with the demons his paintings inevitably release upon him and his family. 2019’s Velvet Buzzsaw pulled back the curtain on a supernatural force coming-to-life when some newly discovered works from a stranger wreak havoc on the wider artistic community. While these might not align precisely with what Wilde was doing in his Gothic tale, they still serve as examples of how Horror can uniquely make use of art in crafting myths that transcend the ordinary and encroach upon the extraordinary … in more ways than one.
2022’s Painted In Blood takes a more direct route by linking one single work of art to a bit of spectral mischief: an entity known only as The Creature has somehow connected his essence to a painting called “Le More” (per the Villains Wiki), a symbiotic relationship that allows him to darkly influence those who view the image on the gallery walls. Written and directed by Aaron Mirtes, the thriller stars Deiondre Teagle, Deborah Seigel, and Brad Belemjian in prominent roles. For the uninitiated, it’s important to point out that this is an independent production, meaning only that it won’t have all of the usual big budget bells and whistles of studio works, so please check your reservations at the door. If you do, then you might be impressed with how far Mirtes and the cast and crew carry the fright.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Malik, an aspiring painter, takes a job as a security guard at an art museum to make extra cash. However, things quickly become terrifying when the figure inside one of the paintings starts speaking to him and walking around at night.”
There have been a great number films that have explored the concept of the struggling artist. Basically, I think this is true because storytellers quite possibly see themselves in the plight of such who battle to have their wares truly understood and appreciated; so, it stands to reason that they’d grasp at such a structure with which to explore the meaning of life or even simpler matters. Indeed, you can add Painted In Blood to this growing sub-genre even though you might take issue – as I did – with where it all goes a bit awry in the final reel.
Malik (played by Deiondre Teagle) is doing the best he can to make ends meet ends. He spends his days working what he can of the nine-to-five existence in order to pay his bills, but his true passion lies in exploring landscapes in watercolor. Seen as fundamentally a ‘good guy’ by all who know him, he still finds himself in a rut wherein his late-night hours spent on perfecting his artistic talents intrude upon the need to maintain an income. When a small local gallery requires the services of a night watchman – a contractual commitment in order to host a traveling exhibit involving a canvas with a somewhat storied reputation – he jumps at the chance because it’ll grant him the chance to learn a bit more about the business as well as find some day hours to paint. Why, even the gallery director Trisha (Deborah Seigel) takes a shine to the young man, so it seems like his dreams have been answered.
To summarize the premise of the tale, Dorian Gray sells his soul essentially in exchange for a shot at living youth eternal: while he’s allowed to engage in a somewhat hedonistic existence, it is only his portrait that magically ages, showing the extent to which a life of excess leaves on his mortal flesh rendered in oils. But this formula – of reality and the supernatural being linked by a work of art – has been tweaked many times over the years for the benefit of Horror fans. 1965’s Color Me Blood Red details the comic twist of a painter finally finding success once he resorts to using human blood in his medium. 2015’s The Devil’s Candy saw a struggling artist having to come to grips with the demons his paintings inevitably release upon him and his family. 2019’s Velvet Buzzsaw pulled back the curtain on a supernatural force coming-to-life when some newly discovered works from a stranger wreak havoc on the wider artistic community. While these might not align precisely with what Wilde was doing in his Gothic tale, they still serve as examples of how Horror can uniquely make use of art in crafting myths that transcend the ordinary and encroach upon the extraordinary … in more ways than one.
2022’s Painted In Blood takes a more direct route by linking one single work of art to a bit of spectral mischief: an entity known only as The Creature has somehow connected his essence to a painting called “Le More” (per the Villains Wiki), a symbiotic relationship that allows him to darkly influence those who view the image on the gallery walls. Written and directed by Aaron Mirtes, the thriller stars Deiondre Teagle, Deborah Seigel, and Brad Belemjian in prominent roles. For the uninitiated, it’s important to point out that this is an independent production, meaning only that it won’t have all of the usual big budget bells and whistles of studio works, so please check your reservations at the door. If you do, then you might be impressed with how far Mirtes and the cast and crew carry the fright.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Malik, an aspiring painter, takes a job as a security guard at an art museum to make extra cash. However, things quickly become terrifying when the figure inside one of the paintings starts speaking to him and walking around at night.”
There have been a great number films that have explored the concept of the struggling artist. Basically, I think this is true because storytellers quite possibly see themselves in the plight of such who battle to have their wares truly understood and appreciated; so, it stands to reason that they’d grasp at such a structure with which to explore the meaning of life or even simpler matters. Indeed, you can add Painted In Blood to this growing sub-genre even though you might take issue – as I did – with where it all goes a bit awry in the final reel.
Malik (played by Deiondre Teagle) is doing the best he can to make ends meet ends. He spends his days working what he can of the nine-to-five existence in order to pay his bills, but his true passion lies in exploring landscapes in watercolor. Seen as fundamentally a ‘good guy’ by all who know him, he still finds himself in a rut wherein his late-night hours spent on perfecting his artistic talents intrude upon the need to maintain an income. When a small local gallery requires the services of a night watchman – a contractual commitment in order to host a traveling exhibit involving a canvas with a somewhat storied reputation – he jumps at the chance because it’ll grant him the chance to learn a bit more about the business as well as find some day hours to paint. Why, even the gallery director Trisha (Deborah Seigel) takes a shine to the young man, so it seems like his dreams have been answered.
However, Trisha warns Malik that the building – a mansion converted into a modern gallery – is old and prone to make noises a bit after dark. Paired with the fact that this traveling artwork – “Le More” – has a somewhat ghastly reputation, things will most definitely be going bump in the night. Undeterred, the young man is willing to give it his fullest attention, an attitude that The Creature – the presence who has attached itself to the artwork – likely feeds upon, knowing full well that it has a new victim in its grasp.
It helps knowing that – as a ghost or perhaps a spiritual possession story – Painted In Blood works on a lean efficiency. The set-up is truly all that’s needed for the majority of the action to make the kind of narrative sense that fuels even the busiest of Horrors to reach its modest goals. There isn’t a good deal of jump scares in here, and the story marches along – much like a painting in progress – of shaping up only those particulars that matter most to the here and now. The audience experiences this carnival joyride through Malik’s eyes – we sense his growing despair, we watch with him as he becomes more and more driven to please this paranormal tutor, to perfect an artistic style that will lead him to fortune and fame – and rarely are we pulled out of those moments as the unspool. As a director, Mirtes keeps his story moving.
Where I began to have problems with Painted was in the last reel. (Careful, now, as there might be a few spoilers here …)
Eventually, Malik comes to his senses – he’s us, after all, so we all knew he would – and realizes that if he’s truly going to survive this conjoining of worlds then he’ll have to outsmart The Creature, something everyone knows is going to be exceedingly difficult. Why, his shadowy benefactor transcends time and space, and that definitively implies The Creature has a vastly greater bag of tricks than mere mortals. But screenwriter Mirtes breaks that fabric by positing that there’s a whole new world behind “Le More” when Malik leaps – literally – through the painting into the beyond.
Now, that in and of itself wouldn’t be all that much of a problem … until one finds out that this ‘beyond’ is little more than your basic four walls and a ceiling not all that unlike the one you or I are sitting in at this very moment. The only significant difference is that this beyond’s walls are covered with portraits of The Creature’s previous victims, all held in some kind of spiritual limbo: they’re not dead, they’re not living, but they’re paintings with respective consciousnesses. Malik even talks with a few of them once he crosses over; and it’s them – not our hero – who demand an end to their collective suffering, demanding that the young man deliver the needed closure.
Painted works best when it’s a ghost story. Adding this context that somehow there’s a bubble universe wherein the victims live on in perpetual purgatory really pushed the door open a bit too far for what an independent feature can effectively accomplish. Granted, Mirtes does an affable job making it work on the budget; and yet it still feels very much like more could’ve been accomplished had he done even less. For example, there are occasions when we see our world through the painting – presumably this is what The Creature sees when he’s looking out from that spot on the wall – and it’s just a space shrouded in darkness. That would’ve been better than giving the beyond such an ordinary space. Such a banal interpretation of ‘out there’ truly hijacks the ethereal nature of the cosmos, and I think it cheapens the finale.
I still enjoyed Painted In Blood for what it was. I just didn’t think it stuck its landing.
Painted In Blood (2022) was produced by Exit 10 Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Octane Multimedia, Darkside Releasing, and Allien Vaughn. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights and sounds mostly solid: it can be a bit difficult to capture anything cinematically astounding in independent cinema, but director Mirtes rather capably uses a good bag of tricks to accomplish a great deal of atmosphere in camera. It works just fine. As for the special features? Well … I’m disappointed to say that the disc only includes the official trailer: how much would it have cost to pony up an interview or two? A big miss so far as I’m concerned.
Recommended.
I’ve always said – and I won’t apologize for it – that I tend to like independent features more because the players have to do more with less in order to deliver a winning flick; and Painted In Blood is a solid specimen. While it may not offer up any signature scenes or a compelling narrative, Mirtes and crew clearly had a vision for a dark journey – complete with a scary figure behind it all – that works when it sticks to those elements. The final reel misses the mark because it tried to do something bigger when smaller was just fine. Could The Creature return with even darker shenanigans? Well, initial signs suggest not … but I’ve learned never say never when I’m dealing with spectral entities.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Painted In Blood (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
It helps knowing that – as a ghost or perhaps a spiritual possession story – Painted In Blood works on a lean efficiency. The set-up is truly all that’s needed for the majority of the action to make the kind of narrative sense that fuels even the busiest of Horrors to reach its modest goals. There isn’t a good deal of jump scares in here, and the story marches along – much like a painting in progress – of shaping up only those particulars that matter most to the here and now. The audience experiences this carnival joyride through Malik’s eyes – we sense his growing despair, we watch with him as he becomes more and more driven to please this paranormal tutor, to perfect an artistic style that will lead him to fortune and fame – and rarely are we pulled out of those moments as the unspool. As a director, Mirtes keeps his story moving.
Where I began to have problems with Painted was in the last reel. (Careful, now, as there might be a few spoilers here …)
Eventually, Malik comes to his senses – he’s us, after all, so we all knew he would – and realizes that if he’s truly going to survive this conjoining of worlds then he’ll have to outsmart The Creature, something everyone knows is going to be exceedingly difficult. Why, his shadowy benefactor transcends time and space, and that definitively implies The Creature has a vastly greater bag of tricks than mere mortals. But screenwriter Mirtes breaks that fabric by positing that there’s a whole new world behind “Le More” when Malik leaps – literally – through the painting into the beyond.
Now, that in and of itself wouldn’t be all that much of a problem … until one finds out that this ‘beyond’ is little more than your basic four walls and a ceiling not all that unlike the one you or I are sitting in at this very moment. The only significant difference is that this beyond’s walls are covered with portraits of The Creature’s previous victims, all held in some kind of spiritual limbo: they’re not dead, they’re not living, but they’re paintings with respective consciousnesses. Malik even talks with a few of them once he crosses over; and it’s them – not our hero – who demand an end to their collective suffering, demanding that the young man deliver the needed closure.
Painted works best when it’s a ghost story. Adding this context that somehow there’s a bubble universe wherein the victims live on in perpetual purgatory really pushed the door open a bit too far for what an independent feature can effectively accomplish. Granted, Mirtes does an affable job making it work on the budget; and yet it still feels very much like more could’ve been accomplished had he done even less. For example, there are occasions when we see our world through the painting – presumably this is what The Creature sees when he’s looking out from that spot on the wall – and it’s just a space shrouded in darkness. That would’ve been better than giving the beyond such an ordinary space. Such a banal interpretation of ‘out there’ truly hijacks the ethereal nature of the cosmos, and I think it cheapens the finale.
I still enjoyed Painted In Blood for what it was. I just didn’t think it stuck its landing.
Painted In Blood (2022) was produced by Exit 10 Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the fine folks at Octane Multimedia, Darkside Releasing, and Allien Vaughn. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights and sounds mostly solid: it can be a bit difficult to capture anything cinematically astounding in independent cinema, but director Mirtes rather capably uses a good bag of tricks to accomplish a great deal of atmosphere in camera. It works just fine. As for the special features? Well … I’m disappointed to say that the disc only includes the official trailer: how much would it have cost to pony up an interview or two? A big miss so far as I’m concerned.
Recommended.
I’ve always said – and I won’t apologize for it – that I tend to like independent features more because the players have to do more with less in order to deliver a winning flick; and Painted In Blood is a solid specimen. While it may not offer up any signature scenes or a compelling narrative, Mirtes and crew clearly had a vision for a dark journey – complete with a scary figure behind it all – that works when it sticks to those elements. The final reel misses the mark because it tried to do something bigger when smaller was just fine. Could The Creature return with even darker shenanigans? Well, initial signs suggest not … but I’ve learned never say never when I’m dealing with spectral entities.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Painted In Blood (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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