Horror Movie Review: Blood Red Sky (2021)

Blood Red Sky is a horror film that was directed by Peter Thorwarth, it released in 2021 via Netflix. A young boy named Elias and his sick mother Nadja prepare to board a plane to New York. Nadja is set to visit a doctor who can provide her with the treatment she needs to restore her health. The plane takes off with no issues, everything appears to be going smoothly. That is until a group of men, including the co-pilot murder three air marshals and sabotage the black box. Berg is the leader and he announces to the passengers that he and his men are now in control of the plane and expect everyone to stay put until a ransom is paid.

Elias tries to hide, and Nadja follows him. A volatile hijacker named Eightball sees them and shoots Nadja several times. Elias is inconsolable as the terrorists begin the second stage of their plan. They a passenger to record a statement that makes it appear the plane has been seized by terrorists for a suicide attack, knowing it will then be shot down.

Elsewhere, Nadja begins to regain consciousness. At this time, she relives an incident in which her husband was killed. Their car had broken down in an isolated area and he had gone to a nearby farmhouse for help. When he didn’t return, she took baby Elias and went to look for him. At the farmhouse, she was attacked by a fanged creature who bit her on the hand. Thankfully, the sun began to rise which caused the monster to burst into flames. Nadja came to the realization that she was now a vampire. Sometime later, Nadja returned to the farmhouse and ran into an elderly vampire who tried to shoot her for killing his son. She overpowered and beat him to death before escaping with vials of vampire suppressant and burning the farmhouse to the ground.

In the cargo hold, Nadja removes the contacts and dentures that conceal her mutated eyes and fangs before killing and feeding on a dog. A hijacker catches her in the act and she kills him and drinks his blood, which fully transforms her into a vampire. With her insatiable thirst for blood taking hold, can she save the plane and her son?

Blood Red Sky is a bloody good horror film. The concept alone deserves praise simply because it’s a truly original idea and for the most part it’s executed brilliantly. Firstly, the performances are in a word, phenomenal. The actors truly embody the ravenous creatures that they become with terrifying effect. The effects themselves are terrific, it’s as good as I’ve ever seen. These are the types of vampires that you really don’t see that often. Think 30 days of Night rather than Twilight. They are hideous monsters that will tear out your throat without a single thought. You wouldn’t want to encounter these scary bastards, that’s for sure.

For this type of story to truly work, you need to feel invested in the relationship between the mother and son. Thankfully, I can say that it’s done pretty damn well. I definitely rooted for Nadja and wanted to see her and Elias make it through it all. There’s a genuinely heart wrenching moment between them near the end. Talking of Elias, he’s definitely one of those movie kids who are just a bit too resourceful.

Something I really wanted to see was a bit more backstory. We know how Nadja became a vampire but I do wonder how she was able to adapt to life and raise Elias afterwards. How did she make it home from the farmhouse? Especially since the sun had just risen. Did nobody question her husband’s disappearance and her sudden changes? How did she make money? There’s a lot of questions when you delve into it. You could make a movie of its own really. Anyway, it doesn’t take too much away from what is an awesome film. Blood Red Sky certainly deserves your attention.