Overview: First-time feature director Patrick Picard brings a fresh take to one of the best-known stories from the master of mystery and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poes The Fall of the House of Usher, in his new slow-burner horror-thriller The Bloodhound.

Francis (Liam Aiken, A Series of Unfortunate Events), a dispossessed young man, is summoned to the secluded home of his wealthy childhood friend, JP Luret (Joe Adler, The Maze Runner), who is suffering from a mysterious affliction.

Upon his arrival, Francis realizes that JP and his ethereal twin sister Vivian (Annalise Basso, Ouija: Origin of Evil) are the sole surviving members of the privileged Luret family, whose legacy has been one of depression and self-destruction, and the only occupants of their family estate.

As the old friends attempt to reconnect, a number of inexplicable incidents begin to occur within the house, and Francis finds himself drawn into a world of malaise and despair, where an act of betrayal might provide his only way out.

Blu-ray Verdict: Super reminiscent of Yorgos Lanthimos films, specifically Dogtooth - that stilted, other worldly, dialogue with a tone that bounces between absurd hilarity and mysterious horror - this is all emphasized by the fantastic performances and dynamic between Liam Aiken and Joe Adler.

They really do a great job at portraying that intimate yet slightly awkward relationship between two friends who once were very close, but have not been in contact for a while.

The increasingly unusual goings on during their time together really do keep you wondering where things will end up.

Major props to the production design on this one. There is some really great costume choices and a really great filming location, that being this 60s or 70s era home that looks like it was a passion project by an architect.

It is not a long movie, at just some 70 minutes, but it is engrossing from start to finish and is also extremely sweet. If you do not mind some purposeful slowness, this film deserves a watch, especially considering that I have not heard anybody talking about this (so I went into it completely oblivious to external thoughts, which was very refreshing!)

In closing, if you like Poe, or you love the Gothic-style, then this is a great little film, just perfectly tailored for your visual desires, and one that certainly does not outstay its welcome. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by director Patrick Picard and editor David Scorca
Four experimental short films by director Patrick Picard: bad dream, the muffled hammerfall in action, the mosaic code and wiggleworm
On the Trail of The Bloodhound: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Chiller, exclusive 45-minute making-of featurette
+ FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel

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