(This review may contain spoilers).
I haven’t read the book this film is based on, or seen the Swedish adaptation of said movie… so this review is entirely based on the English adaptation.
The first thing I should say about this movie is that the blurb is fairly inaccurate. It suggests that the film’s plot is quite different to what it actually is. That having been said… this is a movie I have seen more than once. And watching it again with my friend made me remember how much I liked it.
Nick and Annie came from two vastly different worlds and I felt that the movie showcased that really well. Maybe half of the film was spent on showing the characters in their normal, everyday lives. Although it took a while for the movie to get to what the blurb promised, I felt the first half was just as intriguing as the second.
I found it easier to empathise with Nick than Annie. If I’d had any interactions with someone like Annie at school, she would have terrified me. At the same time, I appreciated being shown her home life. And it was interesting to see that she seemed to spend most of her life hiding.
Pete was a character I did feel sorry for… though he did come across as weak for a lot of the movie. Several of the minor characters were well-defined and I was able to empathise with them, even if I didn’t agree with what they said and did.
A lot of this movie made for really intense viewing. It was good to see Nick’s reactions to what was happening to him. I thought that the way he affected reality was shown in a really unique way.
I felt that the bond between Nick and Annie came across really well. There were parts of this movie that were difficult to watch and the whole storyline and characters affected me a lot.
I have mixed feelings about the ending. Even though it did work, I wasn’t very fond of it. Still, I did enjoy watching this movie. It was emotionally moving and well-acted. Ignore the blurb. Give it a try.
Ink of Blood 