Morbid Colors – review

Director: Matthew Packman

Release date: 2021

Contains spoilers

Released onto Amazon (UK) VoD just after Red Snow, enabling a good vampire release week, this couldn’t be more different than the other film – more road movie (eventually) than anything, this perhaps had more in common with Martin. A film drawn seriously with what appears to be living vampirism (or delusion), the film also felt like Romero’s through the cinematography – although the social commentary was perhaps under expressed compared to Romero (though this does look at America’s rotten societal underbelly and can also be read as a comment on addiction).

Lanae Hyneman as Devin

The film starts with Devin (Lanae Hyneman) sat in a bus depot, her guitar case by her and writing in a book. She is awaiting the return of her sister, Myca (Kara Gray), who she then drives home. As the film progresses, we discover that they are foster sisters, Myca’s mother, Leni (Angela Steele), having taken Devin in. Myca will claim that she was the victim of abuse due to her mother’s addictions and that Devin was treated better in an attempt at redemption. Despite this, the sisters are close, though very different, with Devin unswervingly loyal to Myca.

Kara Gray as Myca

Myca is searching through the kitchen for her mother’s money – Leni comes in and says she won’t find it. Myca has been away for four months – she also, sarcastically it sounds like, claims she is rehabilitated. She goes out and Leni begs Devin not to follow her. Myca has gone to a party looking for occasional partner and dealer Caleb (Jonathon Beavers). She is short of money, though, after Caleb offers a complaint, it appears it won’t actually be an issue. Devin sees Myca with him, through a window, goes home and smashes the bathroom in frustrated anger.

Devin

Myca finds Devin out cold with a cut head – it appears that Devin suffers from blackouts (they seem to be stress induced). We never get an answer to what these blackouts actually are. Myca attends a band practice with Devin (who travels everywhere with her guitar) but the band are less than impressed at her presence (it transpires that she was the drummer but has been replaced as she is unreliable and vanishes off often). The band have an upcoming gig. Later Myca sneaks to Caleb who has what she asked for (later revealed to be a bag with blood packs in it). She takes the blood, and a small baggie of cocaine, and then verbally turns on Caleb.

Cindy Maples as Gloria

The band drummer has been caught with cocaine and the band have to turn to Myca to fill in as drummer (they are suspicious and it is confirmed later that Myca planted the drugs for just that reason). At the gig the first track goes well but, after it, Myca vomits blood on the drums and crawls off, wrecking the gig and splitting the band. Devin discovers that Myca is drinking blood and Myca vows to Devin that she will kill *her* – her being Gloria (Cindy Maples), the wealthy socialite that turned her. The film then follows the road trip (and various misadventures) as Myca, with Devin, searches for Gloria.

Myca blood spattered

The first thing that struck me with this was the cinematography, a gritty photography is often treated with filters (green and violet primarily, which are also the names of the two parts of the film). The camera often pulls in close to the subjects. The acting can be patchy in places. Both leads manage, for the main, to pull the performances off but occasionally the delivery noticeably falters, probably an experience thing. However, when they are on point it works well and it is their believable relationship that drives the film forward. Although Devin is, generally, quiet and thoughtful both sisters are capable of explosive violence (though Devin may subsequently black out).

blood pack

The vampirism consists of a need to consume blood with a cold turkey reaction to not feeding and Myca eventually losing conscious control if she doesn’t feed her hunger. This gives us our drug simile but it might be that she is not a vampire – she may believe she is but that belief may be only that – her need then a psychological reaction to believing she is a vampire. Certainly she has no other symptoms/powers that we see. As such it can be read either way and her violent streak offers no clue as Devin is just as capable of violence.

bloodied mouth

I rather liked this, it is quite a slow burn in places (and the pace could be tidied up) but it fits in well with Martin and similar films. However comparing it to the earlier film, or perhaps more modern equivalents like the Transfiguration, this does come off poorer – not poor mind you, just that it aspires to the place those films sit in but doesn’t quite reach there. It isn’t in the performances (the occasional patchy moments aren’t enough to damage the film) but perhaps in the plot itself. Nevertheless, this is worth a watch. 6.5 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK