Welcome to the Blumhouse may have been born out of the necessity of the pandemic in 2020, but the series seems to have grown into a lucrative partnership between Blumhouse and Amazon Prime Video. The goal of Welcome to the Blumhouse has always been to highlight unique perspectives on common themes. But there has been a certain slapdash quality to the films that makes you wonder what kind of budget and time constraints these otherwise under seen creators are getting stuck with.
The film series has returned in 2021, producing a whole new set of Amazon Originals for the streamer. While little seems to have changed in production quality between the two years, the four that have dropped this October seem to have had a little bit more impact than their predecessors so far as their stories are concerned. All four films are available on Amazon Prime Video now.
4. Bingo Hell
Director: Gigi Saul Guerrero
Writers: Gigi Saul Guerrero, Shane McKenzie, and Perry Blackshear
Though it’s ranked last here, Bingo Hell ended up being more fun than anticipated. A group of elderly locals — who have already saved Oak Springs from a drug epidemic in their past — are forced to take on evil itself when a dark entity takes over their bingo hall to tempt the people of their town. Bingo Hell has two strong things going for it. The first is that Adriana Barraza and L. Scott Caldwell have incredible presence as Lupita and Dolores respectively, with the second being, win or lose, who doesn’t love a town coming together to take on a big bad?
3. Madres
Director: Ryan Zaragoza
Writers: Mario Miscione, Marcella Ochoa
Madres feels the most hobbled by its budget — whatever it may be. Incredible ideas and a strong script by Marcella Ochoa and Mario Miscione are held back by some rough effects. But, what would kill a weaker story only takes a couple chunks out of the enjoyment for Zaragoza’s film. Diana (Ariana Guerra) and Beto (Tenoch Huerta) move from Los Angeles to a migrant farming town so the former can take on a coveted manager role in the fields. It’s not long before we see some emotional distance between the American born Diana and the rest of the immigrant Mexican community, but the culture shock ends up being the least of the expecting couple's worries. Something’s happening to pregnant women in the town. If Diana doesn’t find a cure to the curse before her baby is born, all could be lost.
2. Black as Night
Director: Maritte Lee Go
Writer: Sherman Payne
Black as Night succeeds as much as it does because it leans into its campy production value harder than its three siblings. It’s Young Adult feel certainly helps in that regard as well. The film follows Shawna (Asjha Cooper) and her friends Pedro (Frabizio Guido), and Chris (Mason Beauchamp) as they deal with an underground network of vampires who intend to take down New Orleans. The city itself plays an important role, highlighting the long term effects of hurricane Katrina and the way the country failed the city before and after its decimation. Black as Night has a sillier vibe than its counterparts, but it marries it well with its heavy subject matter and strong YA vibes.
1. The Manor
Director: Axelle Carolyn
Writer: Axelle Carolyn
Whether it’s the fact that Axelle Carolyn both wrote and directed The Manor, or that her time directing on things like American Horror Story, Creepshow, and The Haunting of Bly Manor prepared her for tight turnarounds and lower budgets, it’s her entry that stands apart from the rest of this year’s Welcome to the Blumhouse films. Barbara Hershey shines as Judith Albright, a retired dancer who suffers a stroke and enters The Manor willingly to save her family from having to take care of her as her health deteriorates. Things become more complicated when Judith begins to see entities around the retirement home. She insists something nefarious is afoot, but is written off as an aging woman who’s lost control of her mind.
Carolyn expertly highlights a horror that comes for all those lucky enough to get that far: aging. It’s not the vanity — though that gets a nod as well — it’s the loss of our facilities and the chance that there may not be anyone around to take care of us, or believe us, when those functions are gone. It's what we do with that certain fate that defines us, and The Manor has no issues exploring the darkest corner of those truths.
Let's discuss the Welcome to the Blumhouse movies of 2021 in the comments!