Eventually,
Evan’s son will need the sort of counseling he provides for troubled high
school students. That is because the devoted father is both a social worker and
a serial killer. He is not exactly the second coming of Dexter Morgan, but he
tries to direct his homicidal impulses towards abusive adults who have it
coming. Of course, his activities are bound to get messy in Henry Jacobson’s Bloodline,
a Blumhouse production, which opens this Friday in New York.
Evan
is very definitely the product of an abusive father. Yet, he is still quite the
family man. His son was born several months premature, so he and his wife
Lauren are under a great deal of stress. His mother is there for them, but she
is often more of an annoyance than a help. As a result, Lauren understands why
he sometimes needs to take a break to unwind, but she doesn’t know he is
killing the problematic parents of his high school clients during his alone
time.
Of
course, the ER doctor who is murdered during the prologue will take some
explaining, but there is definitely a reason for it. In the meantime, horror fans
will enjoy the scene as an homage to vintage 1980s slasher movies—yes, it happens
to transpire in the shower room.
Forget
about his initial big break as Stifler in the American Pie movies. Based
on his work as the likable lunkhead Doug Glatt in the Goon movies and
his portrayal of Evan here, it is probably safe to say Seann William Scott is
one of the most versatile and underappreciated actors working today. His slow
burns ferociously as Evan, yet he also humanizes the homicidal social worker.
Dale
Dickey is similarly great fun to watch chewing the scenery and stirring up
chaos as dear old grandma. Kevin Carroll also stands out, for his smart,
understated portrayal of Overstreet, the suspicious cop. Even though her screen
time is limited, Christie Herring makes quite a memorable victim as the
ill-fated doctor. On the other hand, poor Mariela Garriga has to do a lot of
on-screen hand-wringing as Lauren, so she is largely overshadowed by Scott and
Dickey for most of the film.
