PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess in the sixteenth and seventeenth century that was alleged to have killed hundreds of people and bathed in their blood to retain her own youth. There have been over a dozen movie adaptations depicting her life and victims, but never one quite like Blood Bitch Baby. Let’s dive into the bolts of this bolstered Bathory biopic and see where it separates itself from the others.
Blood Bitch Baby was written by Donald Farmer (Bigfoot Exorcist 2024) and Newt Wallen (Midnight Show 2016), and directed by Farmer. It stars Jessa Jupiter Flux (Curtains For Christmas 2024, read our review here) as the aforementioned Bathory, alongside Angel Bradford (Coffintooth 2024) and Mel Heflin (Blood And Breakfast 2024). Bradford plays Jenny, a broke and diminutive girl who desperately needs money to escape from an abusive situation. She comes across a caregiving job for a Bathory relative, and quickly finds herself as the conduit host in a pact between Bathory and Satan himself.
Flux gets a chance to chew the scenery as she relishes playing a horror folklore icon, much as she did when she played vampire Carmilla in another Farmer flick, Debbie Does Demons. Farmer and Flux fit firmly as a dream team in these macabre fairy tales. Bradford gets to see the most character growth in Blood Bitch Baby, as Jenny matriculates from the mousy girl who’s down on her luck, into a bloodthirsty guardian of Satan’s seed.
The special effects are a standout here, as parts like eyeballs and intestines fly around the screen. One particular kill is very satisfying, as Jenny takes her time devouring an unconventional snack. Some of the interiors of the film also showcase the pretty purple hue that Farmer is becoming known for as well.
Heflin enters the picture as Iris, a no nonsense lady who matches Jenny’s toughness and quickly becomes her love interest. It would’ve been nice to see more of their chemistry showcased. The glimpses we got were great, but some of the more elongated shots could’ve been trimmed in favor of spotlighting the qualities that drew them together. Jenny also has a great descent into madness that I wish was given more time to progress. Bradford plays the emotions wonderfully, but I think a slower dialing up of the mental changes would’ve made Blood Bitch Baby even more haunting.
Heflin also joins a skilled team of puppeteers who literally lend their hands to piloting the creature baby. The creature baby is made up in great detail and is showcased well on camera. The ending of Blood Bitch Baby also chillingly lends itself to future entries, planting the seeds that a lot of great antagonists watered.
Blood Bitch Baby was a fast-paced good time, and is available for purchase at Bloodsickproductions.bigcartel.com.
