Perhaps the prologue does too good a job establishing Keith, a down-on-his-luck itinerant farmer worker, as an example victim, because he is exponentially more sympathetic than West, even though he is an ex-con. He had the misfortune to breakdown near Clara’s isolated farmhouse. What happened to his was extremely brutal, but the “process” will only be fully revealed when West falls into Clara’s trap.
The morally questionable filmmaker was watching her nude bathing in a forest stream. Next thing he knows, he wakens, chained up in Clara’s standalone garage. She regularly demands West cut himself, deeply. If he refuses, he gets the electric cattle prod instead. It is all part of her New Age cult’s transformation ritual, as explained by the “Leader” in the VHS tape Clara watches religiously (so to speak).
Frankly, the level of violence in Blood Shine is quite high, even by genre standards. Arguably, it is even more disturbing than usual, because it often involves involuntary self-harm. Consider yourself warned.
West should have also considered himself forewarned when he first saw Lucy poking around his Airbnb, considering she is played Toby Poser of the Adams family of horror filmmakers. Instead, he blunders around the woods, where Clara (or an accomplice?) easily captures him. West represents a change of prey for Clara. Her past attempts to complete the ritual with marginalized drifters have failed. Now she is trying with a real scumbag. However, he might have better skills to play a cat-and-mouse game with his captor.
There is no denying Blood Shine is very well made. However, it will be way too much for most viewers. Regardless, it certainly shows the dangers hippy dippy New Age cults and the violent fanaticism they inspire and demand. Clara and the Leader are perfect examples of why pop culture should better celebrate individualism. Recommended for hardy horror viewers, Blood Shine releases Friday (8/21) in theaters and on VOD.