Blood Moon

Blood Moon is a Western Horror film released in 2014, helmed by director Jeremy Wooding. The movie features an ensemble cast including George Blagden, Tom Cotcher, and Barrington De La Roche, among others. This atmospheric thriller blends the old mythical richness of Native American legends with the rousing graphics and yet delivers the significant punch of a classic horror.

This unique fusion of genres altogether enhances the movie's grip on the audience, shrouding them into a mixture of anticipation and suspense. "Blood Moon" encapsulates a chilling tale, actressively combining the facets of horror with the rawsets of a classic Western backdrop.

The film transports the audience to the Colorado frontier set in the 1880s. George Blagden plays the character of a complex yet endearing outlaw named Jake Norman. Jake and his younger brother Henry, played by actor Jack Fox, are on the run after a bank robbery has gone wrongly awry, leading to several deaths.

Coming across a remote town, they take refuge in a deserted stagecoach stop run by a mysterious one-eyed man portrayed powerfully by Barrington De La Roche. Their precarious sanctuary is further jeopardized when a procession of passengers arrives – a gunslinging bounty hunter Jeb (Shaun Dooley) with his captive Calhoun (Tom Cotcher), a well-known gambler. This group hosts a myriad of motives and secrets, and tensions steadily simmer as they're compounded, leading to eerily gripping dynamics.

Meanwhile, in the backdrop is a Native American woman Black Deer (Eleanor Matsuura), who mysteriously flits through the scenes, menacingly speaking of an upcoming curse provoked by the desecration of the sacred burial ground by miners. She narrates the tale of an ancient vengeful spirit Skin Walker, a shapeshifter, which once awakened, hunts under the blood moon, harvesting souls to gain its strength.

Her ominous predictions become increasingly pertinent as the night sinks into darkness, the imminent arrival of the beast overshadows each character's personal conflicts. The characters need to put aside their fears, conflicts, and alliances as they find themselves in an unimaginable situation trying to survive the hideous beast's fury. They are cast into an unpredictable and horrifying night of survival against a supernatural werewolf-like creature.

Director Jeremy Wooding masterfully builds a palpable tension and dread around the characters, enveloped with a darkly haunting atmosphere amplifying the feeling of the imminent doom. The slow-burning build-up of suspense and eerily atmospheric settings, combined with cleverly executed scare tactics and surprisingly convincing creature effects, bring forth an impressive texture of horror onto the Wild West scenario, juxtaposing the two contrasting themes very tastefully.

"Blood Moon" successfully sustains the shifts between Western and horror elements, and the supernatural beast's notorious entrance adds a fresh layer to its western elements. The script's strength lies in how it maintains an eerie balance between character tension and the approaching horror, keeping viewers engaged and on the edge of their seats.

The ensemble cast delivers highly creditable performances. Blagden plays the outlaw with a soft heart with much credibility, while Cotcher does well in a contrasting role. De La Roche’s almost ghoulish stagecoach operator provides the right amount of eeriness needed for the plot.

Cinematographer Stefan Mitchell creates an encapsulating wild frontier landscape during the day, while strategically employing shadows and light to elevate the tension and dread during the night scenes. The sound design relies heavily on natural ambient noise and harrowingly shrill creature sounds, adding a layer of desolation and fear.

The film’s authentic production design and costumes immerse you into the time period, while visually striking special effects make the danger look and feel very real. The film’s score by Toby Pitman provides a thrilling resonance to the suspenseful moments, helping to build the overall dreadful atmosphere.

In summary, "Blood Moon" is a wonderfully made genre-bending film, the collision of western and horror elements works mysteriously well here under Wooding's deft hands. While it may not appeal to every cinephile, fans of inventive genre fusions, especially horror admirers, will find plenty to savor in this unique and compelling watch.