Not long after Nadja (Peri Baumeister), a widow suffering from leukemia boarded the Transatlantic Aircraft 473 with her son, Elias (Carl Anton Koch), a group of men seized control of the plane forcing everyone to remain still until a ransom was paid.
However, when the terrorist group starts to get violent towards her son and the distraught passengers, Nadja is left with no choice but to unleash her supernatural secret.
In many ways, “Blood Red Sky” feels like a hodgepodge of popular thriller films such as “From Dusk ‘Till Dawn,” “Snake on a Plane,” and “Train to Busan.” It follows a flawed protagonist in a brutal cat-and-mouse chase, only this time it features an entirely new creature -- vampires.
Director Peter Thorwarth did not follow suit on the usual trope present in these kinds of monster films. This is more serious in tone and casually grounded. While it takes away the frenetic horror element of the film, in exchange for the drama, the payoff, in the end, is still true to the audience's expectation.
Nonetheless, “Blood Red Sky” carelessly juggles the plot. It oscillates from past to present, which is unnecessary since it detaches the audience from the current hijacking situation. Exploring Nadja’s past also diluted the core message of acceptance and love between mother and son.
The film also fails to put importance on significant social issues.
After the hijackers took control of the Transatlantic Aircraft 473, they decided to frame the crime to Muslims by recording an Arabic message. This will lead to more prejudice towards them.
Although it is clear that these criminals are framing Middle Eastern citizens for their transgression, the scene is dispensable and it did not offer anything substantial to break the cycle of hate and bigotry.
The ramification of the 9/11 tragedy sends a massive wave of abhorrence towards Middle Eastern nations. Nine years after the tragedy, that is still the status quo. The widespread stereotype is, they are enemies or terrorists. But that needs to change, especially in film and television. Rather than preach about racism; directors, producers, and writers should start to promote tolerance and compassion by deep diving into understanding diversity and race.
Anyway, “Blood Red Sky” houses countless wishy-washy characters. Good examples are Elias and Farid, two characters that are more of a nuisance in the narrative than actual rays of sunshine.
Nadja, on the other hand, is an interesting character. Though there is no question that her uncanny secret reeks before the actual reveal, but one look at Peri Baumeister’s appearance and performance, the audience is tricked to think otherwise. Needless to say Baumeister is irresistibly compelling. She injects her character a sense of fear, fury, and anxiety, which the film undisputedly needs since it seems lost halfway through its runtime.
“Blood Red Sky” entertains with its unique blend of action and horror, but in hindsight, it’s mediocre. It fails to improve the genre and take it to another level. Plus, it is excruciatingly long, and even if it runs for 2 hours, it still doesn't fully realize the full promise of its theme.
1.5/5
Watch "Blood Red Sky" on Netflix.