[Film Review] FrightFest: Here For Blood (2022)

“This babysitter is really pissing me off!”

Babysitting has got to be the most dangerous job in horror films. Across subgenres, those who provide childcare coverage for parents are at the mercy of horror film villains, both human and supernatural. But what if the babysitter was ready for a fight? Here for Blood (2022), directed by Daniel Turres, answers that question. 

Tom (Shawn Roberts) is an independent pro-wrestler, working live shows for very little money, as is the way when you’re trying to make it in the wrestling scene. Tom is dating Phoebe (Joelle Farrow), a conscientious college student with final exams looming. They are affectionate toward one another, and they lovingly tease each other. When Phoebe asks Tom to cover a babysitting job for her so she can get more studying done, he makes a show of how much he doesn't want to do it, but he takes the job anyway. Tom makes his way to a huge house in the country to watch little Grace (Maya Misaljevic), a polite and well-behaved kid who just wants to eat pizza and play video games. Phoebe plans to join later, along with two of her study buddies. But their night is interrupted when a gang of masked home-invaders descend upon the house and try to take Grace. Tom and his friends have to fight back to survive, as things get weirder and weirder.

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Here for Blood is a home-invasion horror comedy unlike any other I have seen. It’s got the sleek look of a ‘90s slasher, but over-the-top comedic kills that get sillier as the movie progresses. Tom’s character is hilarious - he is so sincere and genuine, he becomes more confident as a babysitter as the situation gets worse, and the actor’s line delivery elevates the comedy. The characters are all lovable, especially Tom and Grace, and they have the audience rooting for their success. There are also moments of fear, with some especially terrifying masks worn by the home invaders, and their scenes stalking their victims. As with all home-invasion horror films, the question is: why this family, and why now? Here for Blood answers that question in a rather surprising way.

There has always been a big overlap in the Venn diagram of horror fans and wrestling fans, myself included. Both forms of entertainment include spectacles, storytelling, acting, and, if you’re lucky, great stunt work and special effects. Here for Blood is made for fans of both wrestling and horror, but you don’t need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the film. There are a few Easter eggs for lovers of wrestling - such as one of the villains calling Tom a “dead man walking,” an allusion to one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, The Undertaker, and Tom using an elbow drop to defeat a villain. The art and sport of professional wrestling has a lot to offer to the horror genre, and I was thrilled to see it here.

Here for Blood does for home invasion movies what Cabin in the Woods (2011) did for slashers. It’s a meta-horror-comedy that balances jokes and scares. Don’t miss Here for Blood… but maybe don’t watch it when you’re home alone.

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