Sure, not every Blumhouse film is a winner. That comes with the territory when you’re a studio that specializes in micro-budget horror films that typically don’t feature big stars. But as is seen in the announcement of the next batch of films that are part of “Welcome to the Blumhouse,” the studio is willing to use its name to help raise the profile of some young filmmakers.
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Much like last year’s quartet of horror features made specifically for Amazon Prime Video, this year’s group of “Welcome to the Blumhouse” films is debuting in October and is comprised of up-and-coming directors hoping to make a name for themselves in genre filmmaking. Leading the group of new films is “Bingo Hell” from filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero, who is probably best known for making what might be the best of the “Into the Dark” episodes, “Culture Shock.” Now, she returns to the Blumhouse family with a new feature about the deadly game of…bingo?! It sounds bananas, but awesome at the same time.
Joining her in the “Welcome to the Blumhouse” filmmaking troupe are Maritte Lee Go (making her feature debut with “Black as Night”), Ryan Zaragoza (also a feature debut with “Madres”), and Axelle Carolyn (actress-turned-filmmaker, making her first feature since 2013 with “The Manor”).
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The first two “Welcome to the Blumhouse” titles arrive on Amazon Prime Video on October 1, with two more debuting the week after.
Here are the synopses for the new films:
BINGO HELL
October 1, 2021
When a sinister figure threatens the residents of a low-income community, a feisty senior citizen tries to stop him in Bingo Hell, a wickedly original horror movie with a fiendishly funny twist. After 60-something neighborhood activist Lupita (Adriana Barraza) discovers that her beloved local bingo hall has been taken over by a mysterious businessman named Mr. Big (Richard Brake), she rallies her elderly friends to fight back against the enigmatic entrepreneur. But when her longtime neighbors begin turning up dead under grisly circumstances, Lupita suddenly discovers that gentrification is the least of her problems. Something terrifying has made itself at home in the quiet barrio of Oak Springs, and with each new cry of “Bingo!” another victim falls prey to its diabolical presence. As the cash prizes increase and the body count steadily rises, Lupita must face the frightening realization that this game is truly winner-takes-all.
BLACK AS NIGHT
October 1, 2021
A resourceful teenage girl leaves childhood behind when she battles a group of deadly vampires in Black as Night, an action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humor. Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, a new threat leaves its mark on the Big Easy in the form of puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s vulnerable displaced population. When her drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, 15-year old Shawna (Asjha Cooper) vows to even the score. Along with three trusted friends, Shawna hatches a bold plan to infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing monsters is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict between warring vampire factions, each fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home.
MADRES
October 8, 2021
Beto (Tenoch Huerta) and Diana (Ariana Guerra), a young Mexican-American couple expecting their first child, move to a small town in 1970’s California where Beto has been offered a job managing a farm. Isolated from the community and plagued by confusing nightmares, Diana explores the rundown company ranch where they reside, finding a grisly talisman and a box containing the belongings of the previous residents. Her discoveries will lead her to a truth much stranger and more terrifying than she could have possibly imagined.
THE MANOR
October 8, 2021
A malevolent force preys upon the residents of a sleepy nursing home in The Manor, a gothic tale of terror with a modern twist. When a mild stroke diminishes her ability to care for herself, Judith Albright (Barbara Hershey) moves to Golden Sun Manor, an assisted living facility with a sterling reputation. But despite the best efforts of the staff, and a budding friendship with fellow senior Roland (Bruce Davidson), strange occurrences and nightmarish visions convince Judith that a sinister presence is haunting the massive estate. As residents begin to die mysteriously, Judith’s frantic warnings are dismissed as fantasy. Even her devoted grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander) thinks her fears are the result of dementia, not demons. With no one willing to believe her, Judith must either escape the confines of the manor, or fall victim to the evil that dwells within it.
