Let’s discuss that stylish, neo-Giallo film about murdered
dancers that’s out now, shall we? Oh, I
meant the one that isn’t the new Suspiria
remake. Sorry. Brett Mullen’s Bloody Ballet (a.k.a.
Fantasma) might not be the most well-known film with blood-splattered
ballerinas, but it surprisingly holds its own.
When Adriana (Kendra Carelli) is cast as the lead role in a
production of The Nutcracker, her
inner darkness is awakened by the stress and jealousy she experiences. Haunted by childhood trauma, she begins to
hallucinate and have increasingly troubling dreams. All the while, a mysterious masked murderer
with a penchant for music boxes begins to kill off her cast members one by one
in the most “Argento” of fashions.
From the very first shots of the film--a flashback to the
night of Adriana’s parents’ murder, followed by her dance troupe performing on
stage--the tone is immediately set: an
80’s retro, synth-heavy soundtrack complements an ultra-saturated color scheme
that will satiate “style over substance” horror devotees. Its music and cinematography are undoubtedly
the film’s strongest assets, balanced by a solid enough, well-paced plot to not
seem completely void of substance.
Nevertheless, the film still lacks the polish of a
commercial film. While Kendra Carelli’s
performance is acceptable, her supporting actors vary in competence, made worse
by the script’s sometimes clunky exposition.
The sound design is practically non-existent in the sense that (along
with a noticeable lack of foley) the audio sounds like it was recorded in a
vacuum with zero sense of space, which is in stark contrast to the atmosphere
they set visually. While these flaws
aren’t deal-breakers, they suggest a level of amateurism, which is unfortunate.
Bloody Ballet’s
greatest flaw, however, lies within a subplot that did not enhance the film
aesthetically nor narratively. We are
introduced to a journalist that explores an abandoned asylum to investigate the
ghosts that roam its halls. While his
story ultimately ties into the somewhat sloppy climax of the film, his scenes
abruptly pull the audience out of the main action, often look drab in
comparison to the otherwise lush imagery, and could have been presented in a
more engaging manner--or even eliminated completely.
The film is rich in dark ambiance and gore, but if you’re
looking for jump scares or nail-biting suspense, look elsewhere. The killer certainly has some fun murders and
a great getup, but the carnage is mostly predictable and nothing new for any
slasher film aficionado. More unsettling
are the otherworldly visions our protagonist has throughout the film, which
were consistently interesting and creatively unveiled.
-Andrea Riley
