Review: Blood Red Sky

Director: Peter Thorwarth

Screenplay: Stefan Holtz and Peter Thorwarth

Year: 2021

A woman and her son prepare to travel from Europe to the United States to seek treatment for her rare illness. During the flight, the plane is hijacked by a group of terrorists. To protect her child, the woman is forced to take action against terrorists, for which her illness will be an advantage.

Recently Netflix seems determined to expand its horror movie offering, which we horror fans are enjoying. Among its most recent releases is the excellent "Fear Street" trilogy, the good "A Classic Horror Story" and the disappointing "Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness", which are now joined by the German "Blood Red Sky." I just hope Netflix isn't pulling out its heavy artillery right now and that it is reserving something for October.

From the film’s synopsis and trailers, it is clear that the plot is about vampires on a transcontinental flight. Some may compare it to movies like "Snakes on a Plane", but I assure you that it is completely different. Instead of an action movie that borders on comedy, “Blood Red Sky” is a proper horror movie, embroidering the theme of vampires, terrorism, and an out-of-control child doing stupid things that put all passengers at risk.

First, I want to acknowledge the excellent work of the cast, which is one of the most important factors in anchoring the viewer to the plot. Although there are some clichéd and predictable characters, the cast does a great job at their performances and softens this issue. In particular, the protagonist Peri Baumeister ("The Last Kingdom") does a phenomenal job in her role as Nadja, especially in her vampire form, where even the subtle movements of the character are superbly represented. 

The way its plot is structured divides it into two halves. The first half is one of development and establishment, where suspense dominates. Then it moves on to action and resolution, where the film takes on a more formulaic and predictable style. This section loses much of the suspense and interest that it achieves in its first half to give way to action, blood, and special effects, which are good but detract from the excellent development of the first half.

"Blood Red Sky" offers an intriguing plot that fades a bit after the first half but is still highly enjoyable. Its 121-minute run feels a bit long and could undoubtedly have been shorter, but the performances, plot, and special effects help keep the viewer interested.