Clive Barker‘s Books of Blood short story collection launched his career in horror. Many of Barker’s film adaptations come from this six-volume series, from Candyman to Rawhead Rex and many in between. For Hulu’s Books of Blood, writer/director Brannon Braga (Salem, Star Trek: First Contact) and co-writer Adam Simon use the short story “The Book of Blood” as a base framing device to create a new world of gruesome terrors. The result is a strange twist on the anthology format that works best as a setup for a potential ongoing series inspired by Barker’s works.
Books of Blood opens with a prologue, in which a mercenary, Bennett (Yul Vazquez), is on a mission to retrieve a book reputedly worth an unfathomable amount of money. Bennett sees this as his last job, hoping to retire from the wealth it’d garner him, and he’s willing to do anything to acquire the book. His story serves as the connective tissue between the two larger tales in this not-quite anthology.
Much of the runtime is dedicated to the development of Jenna (Britt Robertson), a troubled college student. She’s stuck at home- a luxurious beachfront property- after suffering an undisclosed mental break at school. Tired of being micromanaged and treated like a problem, Jenna runs away and winds up at a small town, where she rents a room at a college from a sweet, older couple. Naturally, their welcoming attitude belies more sinister designs on their boarders.
Lastly, Mary (Anna Friel) is a college professor that debunks psychics and the paranormal. She’s challenged by the arrival of Simon (Rafi Gavron), who convinces her that he can talk to the dead, including her deceased young child.
These three separate tales overlap and intersect at varying points through Bennett’s story, but it’s the nonlinear way in which Braga tells them that’s most curious. Bennett’s tale more or less bookends the film, yet Jenna’s adventure picks up and drops off at random. Just as things are getting intense in her segment, it abruptly ends and quietly moves into Mary and Simon’s intro. Just when you think that’s all there was to Jenna’s story, it returns to her to fill in many of the blanks that led her to that point. The jarring transition deflates much of the buildup in tension.
The performances are strong. Robertson is forced to do much of the heavy lifting, as the film spends most of its time with her character, and she luckily keeps Jenna interesting throughout the winding trajectory of her arc. It’s Friel who threatens to steal the film, though, if only the narrative would let her. Friel’s Mary is an icy, formidable woman thawed by her profound grief. Opposite her, Gavron’s Simon is the precise type of calm conman that sets up a thrilling battle of wits between the paranormal mediator and a professional skeptic. Fans of Barker’s short story will know precisely where these characters are headed, yet the actors are so good that they reel you in wholly, wanting to see this one expanded upon most of all.
There are moments of horror, violence, and gore, though nowhere near what Barker’s fans likely expect. Braga is more interested in exploring the characters’ traumas, sprinkled with moments of spooky scares, than outright unsettling dread. There’s a restraint to the horror. While polished and full of engaging performances, Books of Blood ultimately feels like a backdoor pilot to an ongoing series rather than a standalone film. This feature looks ahead, presenting an introduction to a world filled with evildoers and the paranormal, rather than the present. Barker serves as executive producer, but this is Braga’s vision. His take on the anthology doesn’t quite achieve the unity attempted, and the format doesn’t quite work either. Still, when broken down piecemeal, there’s plenty to like about Books of Blood to warrant a continuation, especially if it involves Mary and Simon.
Books of Blood releases exclusively on Hulu on October 7, 2020.
