It’s very refreshing when indie filmmakers don’t just seek to create a short film, but a short film that can make a difference. “Thinner Blood” is a remarkable and effecting short drama that could easily be stretched in to a feature film. But on its own it works and stays with you long after the credits have rolled.
Olive and Ava are two sisters that are unfortunately stuck in a household with a mother who is not only a raging alcoholic, but is extremely physically abusive. Sisters Olive and Ava spend their days working around their mother, memorizing her patterns and drunken bursts, and walk around their house like shadows. Most days they spend their time locked in their room fending for themselves, and preparing for the inevitable outburst from their mother. Hayla Yanes is wonderful as the oldest daughter Olive, who only keeps her sister Ava calm and sane, but also absorbs much of the punishment her mom inflicts on them.
Ava has spent an enormous amount of time committing to being silent, as Olive helps her retain her level headedness in the midst of this destructive environment. Director Jon Reino really adds a grit to the film that helps its realism a great deal, never inflicting any cloying or silly plot twists. He depicts this horrible relationship about as painfully as possible, and then explores the repercussions of Olive’s ultimate reprisal to her mother. It’s a very slippery and sad path that they will have to endure, but “Thinner Blood” works as a statement against these kinds of home lives, and gives the victims a voice.