Bloody Axe Wound Movie Review: Misleading Cameos and Mixtape Carnage (6/10)
Official Movie URL: https://www.ifccenter.com/films/bloody-axe-wound/
Cast & Crew
Directed by: Matthew John Lawrence
Sari Arambulo of AP Bio, Jeffrey Dean Morgan of The Walking Dead and Invincible, Molly Brown of Dexter: Original Sin, Eddie Leavy of AP Bio, and Billy Burke of Twilight and Batman: The Long Halloween.
When I first came across Bloody Axe Wound, it looked like the kind of weird indie horror I’d be into. The concept—a family business built around snuff films and a local video store—sounded deranged in the right way. The cast? Even better. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was front and center in the trailers, and Sari Arambulo (of AP Bio fame) felt like perfect casting for the role of Abbie Bladecut, a teen poised to take over her father’s twisted legacy. With that setup, I was expecting something wild, maybe even unforgettable. What I got was… mostly fine. But the biggest surprise wasn’t the kills or the concept—it was how little the movie trusted its best asset.
The Drew Barrymore Fake-Out, Without the Purpose
When Scream hit theaters in 1996, killing off A-list star Drew Barrymore in the opening minutes was a brilliant move. It told audiences no one was safe. With Bloody Axe Wound, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is used in much the same way—front and center in marketing, trailers, even top billing on physical media. But unlike Scream, Morgan’s character Butch Slater contributes almost nothing to the film. He appears briefly at the beginning, then vanishes entirely. The scene looks cool on the surface, and there’s a faint justification that he's training Abbie Bladecut (Sari Arambulo), but none of that is followed through.
Morgan’s presence feels like a bait-and-switch, which is frustrating because fans of horror and comic book properties genuinely love this guy. The Walking Dead, Supernatural, The Boys, Watchmen, Invincible—he’s built a reputation on charming villainy. So when you find out he’s barely in the film, it’s not just disappointing—it’s misleading. Ironically, just as Abbie’s father claims she can’t carry on the family business because she’s a girl, the film’s marketing suggests Sari Arambulo can’t carry the movie either. But she does. And that makes the decision to lean so heavily on Morgan even more frustrating.
No Signal: Horror Before the Internet Saved Us
The film never says what year it takes place, but it’s easy to peg it as the early ‘90s. There are no mobile phones—not even the brick Nokias. No internet, no texting. Just landlines, payphones, mixtapes, and a run-down VHS rental store doubling as a snuff film dispensary. Some horror fans might argue that the presence of physical media doesn’t necessarily date a film—especially in a world where nostalgia shops like Graveface and The Toy Pit are thriving—but here, it’s more than just aesthetic. It’s the isolation that matters.
Characters can’t Google their way out of danger. No one’s livestreaming attacks. There’s a claustrophobic quality to the Bladecut family’s world, and the pre-digital setting reinforces it. Abbie isn’t just taking on her family’s legacy—she’s doing it in a world where help doesn’t come with a push notification. That’s a big part of what makes the whole “snuff store in town” thing barely plausible, yet oddly fascinating.
What Worked Well
- Sari Arambulo delivers a committed and layered performance as Abbie Bladecut. Equal parts creepy and commanding, she owns every scene.
- The worldbuilding and analog details (VHS, payphones, mixtapes) feel lived-in and well-executed.
- The twisted concept—a family of serial killers renting out their own snuff films—is both original and appropriately grimy.
- Writer/director Matthew John Lawrence keeps his punk-horror aesthetic alive post-Uncle Peckerhead.
Too Much Setup, Not Enough Payoff
Here’s the real kicker: Abbie’s father spots her in a grainy low-budget snuff film playing on an old CRT television because of her green jacket. Yet Sam Crane, Abbie’s love interest—and the same person who nearly kills Abbie during a home invasion earlier in the film—never connects the dots. Abbie wears that jacket throughout the movie. Sam also sees the scar she gave Abbie. Still, nothing clicks. Not until the climax. The film expects us to believe a trauma that intense just… disappears?
It’s a frustrating inconsistency that feels less like suspense and more like oversight. Especially when you’ve got a character like Abbie whose evolution could be emotionally devastating. There’s missed opportunity for tension, conflict, and resolution that would have grounded the otherwise bonkers premise.
Final Cut: A Strong Lead Held Back by Weak Framing
Bloody Axe Wound has a killer concept, a strong lead, and a refreshing setting—but it drops the ball by overhyping its least important character and leaving too many threads dangling. Sari Arambulo proves she can carry a horror film. The irony is that the movie’s own marketing doesn’t trust her to. While the supporting cast fits well and the analog aesthetic is enjoyable, the inconsistent storytelling and baited expectations hold it back. Worth a watch if you’re into bloody weirdness and post-AP Bio psychosis—but manage your expectations.
Keep your coffin cozy and your horror collection cursed—until next time, fiends! ⚰️📼
Paul Francis Jones - March 30th 2025
