‘In Our Blood’ Works To Defy Found Footage Expectations [Fantasia 2024 Review]
Pedro Kos is no stranger to documentary filmmaking, spending most of his career directing and producing documentaries about rebellious nuns, data leaks, and those affected by the housing crisis. His non-fiction work even earned him an Academy Award. So it only makes sense that he turned his attention to found footage horror in his new film In Our Blood, which had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival. With his expertise in the documentary format and a smart script by Mallory Westfall, Kos is able to craft an emotionally affecting story while also making use of genre tropes when you least expect them.
Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) is a documentary filmmaker heading back to her hometown of Los Felices to reconnect with her estranged mother. Documenting the whole experience is her cameraman Danny (E.J. Bonilla), ready to capture their emotional reunion. However, Emily is hesitant after having a rather tumultuous childhood with a mother who struggled with addiction.
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But as quickly as the two are reunited, her mother disappears. While trying to find her, Emily and Danny discover this isn’t the first disappearance in Los Felices. In fact, several unhoused people who struggled with addiction have gone missing recently. As their story shifts from emotional reconnection to true crime investigation, Emily and Danny reveal strange and dangerous secrets about the town.
Much of In Our Blood revolves around underserved communities who are often discarded by society. People who deal with mental health struggles, addiction, and homelessness are still people, and this film wants to remind the audience of just that. While In Our Blood isn’t the first found footage movie to address social issues like addiction and homelessness, it’s perhaps the first of its kind to handle it so directly. Often, social issues are used as a vague backdrop or source of horror. But here, Kos and his team worked with the actual community of Los Felices to integrate their stories and voices into the film. They attended community meetings to speak with Los Felices residents who were unhoused to get their input and explain what the film was trying to accomplish. This is where Kos’ background really shines as that research and inclusion of voices enrich the film’s narrative.
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But the core of that narrative’s emotional weight comes from two strong performances by O’Grady and Bonilla. O’Grady plays Emily as the strong silent type who tries her best to hide her feelings, while Bonilla plays Danny as a guy who wears his feelings on his sleeve. Both of them embody their characters so well that they don’t feel like actors, especially as each of them shares their traumatic and troubled pasts. O’Grady and Bonilla bring Westfall’s script to life with honesty and empathy.
Parts of In Our Blood do start to feel repetitive as the investigation progresses, especially as we move towards an explosive third act that dramatically shifts the film’s tone. The tonal shift is daring and, for the reviewer, absolutely works, if not a bit predictable if you’re paying close attention. It’s likely to divide audiences, but there’s no denying the risks Kos and Westfall take here and it’s a breath of fresh air, especially within the realm of found footage.
In Our Blood doesn’t revolutionize found footage, but it makes excellent use of genre expectations paired with Kos’ expertise in the documentary filmmaking world. A smart script by Westfall, a stellar cast, and thoughtful filmmaking make this a special piece of found footage work seeking out once it secures a release.
Summary
A smart script, a stellar cast, and thoughtful filmmaking make ‘In Our Blood’ a special piece of found footage work seeking out
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