Sunday Matinee: Bloody Marie [Film]

“Marie, once successful graphic novelist, lives in the Amsterdam red-light district. She drinks too much and gets into one conflict after another. A horrific incident in the house next door forces her to take action and get her life back on course.” – October Coast PR

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While Bloody Marie may be rightfully billed as a psychological thriller of sorts, I have to argue that this is barely scratching the proverbial surface of what is going on in this incredibly stylized film that is rooted in anguish and desperation. The latter could almost be a character of the film in itself. The titular character Marie lives in a state of desperation with the inability to continue doing the one thing that used to bring her joy and maybe somewhat as important – an income. The link between desperation, poverty, and alcoholism has been observed for hundreds of years, and the situations that one can find themselves in when this is the path they decide to venture down can some times turn out very, very badly. The film showcases these matter in an absolutely brilliant fashion. And to watch the self-realization of our heroine(?) come to life is just another reason that Bloody Marie is an absolutely brilliant tale of triumph (somewhat) over self-inflicted adversity.

Susanne Wolff gives an absolutely incredible performance as Marie herself. In trying to describe to a friend why I felt she was so incredible in this role, my best explanation would be this: If you could not imagine a single other performer in that role, they did an amazing job. it’s as simple as that. If I walked away from Bloody Marie believing that anybody could have stepped in a taken Wolff’s spot, I would have a different opinion. But that was not the case. Susanne absolutely killed it in the film and added a depth to the character that feels deeply personal and somehow relatable to her own existence. Although maybe not as extreme.

I honestly cannot recommend Bloody Marie enough. It’s one of the best film’s of 2019, and even short-listed as one of the Dutch submissions for the upcoming Academy Awards. I know I am pulling to see it show up in the nominations list. So check it out, Folks!

Blood Marie is in select theaters now and available now on VOD, wherever you watch great films.