Burlesque dancer Bridget gets turned into a vampire by Baron Samedi who believes her to be his long lost wife, Maman Brigitte. With her newfound powers, Bridget spreads some mayhem and stops some evil.
Written and directed by Richard Elfman, this horror comedy contains good laughs, some silliness, a few interesting dance scenes, and some surprises along the way. As is tradition with Elfman, some of the aspects are pushed as far as they can and some touch of bizarro and a little vaudeville, a lot of old school comedy, some inappropriate humor, some absurdist comedy, and some modern horror mixed in. The story here is fairly straightforward, but once everything and the kitchen sink gets thrown at the screen, it becomes something more. The film is a logical evolution of Elfman’s work so far as a filmmaker, giving his fans what they have come to love and expect from his film, creating a good follow up to Aliens, Clowns & Geeks. As with that film, a lot of his regulars are present here, creating a true Elfman film through and through. Of course, this is a film very much in his style of writing and directing, giving what is promised in the trailer and marketing material, a non-pretentious fun romp filled with blood and a few oddities here and there. OK, more than a few oddities, but that is what one has come to expect from the Forbidden Zone creator.
In the lead here is Anastasia Elfman for who the part of Bridget was created and written, allowing her to have some fun, give a performance that works, and do some dancing which she has an extensive background in. She’s a burlesque performer on the darker side of things, often incorporating fake blood and other horror items in her work, something that reflects here. Her work here gives the film life and is exactly what the story needs. Working alongside Anastasia Elfman and shining are Marcos Mateo Ochoa as Pepe and Jean Charles as Baron Samedi. Charles in particular gives a strong performance, one that steals a few scenes here and there. Of course, director Richard Elfman also has a part here and well, if one has seen his other work, it’s almost expected he’ll have that role.
Also coming in hot and on point is the music by Ego Plum and Danny Elfman which is sewn into the fabric of the film. The music here is a big part of the story and the characters and bringing these two creators to bring these to life is definitely a great move. Of course, the work of the Elfman brothers connects well and has for decades now, so bringing in Danny Elfman was a no-brainer. The music here is fun and fitting, with a touch of darkness here and there, exactly as expected and loved.
The film’s look is brought to the screen by cinematographer Howard Wexler, SOTA EFX, and editor Andrew Kasch. These collaborators each bring resumes that speak for themselves and help bring the film to lively life in a colorful and appealing way. The cinematography brings the film to the screen in a cohesive manner with the story, making it look like the logical next step after Aliens, Clowns & Geeks which Wexler also shot. The effects by SOTA EFX are great in the practical scenes, mainly the kill scenes with Bridget exacting her vengeance on those who deserve it. The computer-generated visual effects fit quite well in this film, working within the feel of the story perfectly. The editing by Kasch works on all of these and with the different sequences and scenes, giving the performers, effects, and scenes the right amount of time to develop and work.
Bloody Bridget is a film that fans of Richard Elfman’s work will absolutely love. For a lot of people, the film will be too much or too odd, for those open to these types of pieces, it’s a boatload of fun, a great future cult film, and one that is perfect to watch with friends while just enjoying life.