Bloodride – Netflix Review (4/5)

BLOODRIDE is a Netflix horror anthology series from Norway. With just six 30-minute episodes it’s very quick to binge-watch. The stories are universal and should appeal to a wide audience on Netflix. Read our full Bloodride review here!

Bloodride is a Netflix horror series. Or, to be specific, it’s a horror anthology from Norway that consists of six very different stories. However, they all have a touch of horror – some of them in a more psychological way and others downright slasher-style.

Season 1 of Bloodride has six 30-minute episodes, so you could easily watch them in one sitting. They all have a very wide appeal and stories that feel universal, which is always a good thing.

Continue reading our Bloodride review below which is based on the three episodes, we received screeners of.

UPDATE: After watching all six episodes in this Norwegian horror anthology on Netflix, we’ve changed our rating of the series. For the better, I might add! You should definitely check out this horror production on Netflix!

Norwegian horror is worth your time

If you’ve watched any Norwegian horror movies in the past, then you already know that they are damn good at making genre films. One of the best-known examples is probably the horror-comedy Dead Snow from 2009. We’re talking Nazi zombies and all kinds of awesome craziness. Please, make sure you watch it.

Also, there’s the horror-thriller Cold Prey from 2006 which has a few sequels. This is definitely worth watching as well. Finally, there’s the more recent genre-hybrid Thelma from 2017. It has elements of Carrie while being entirely its own story as well. Also, it’s one I could rewatch over and over again.

You might like: Our review of the horror-fantasy Thelma here >

In other words, when we heard that Netflix would be releasing a Norwegian horror anthology, we were very excited right off the bat. After having watched half of the episodes in season 1, we still are. Though we do hope the final three episodes deliver more of the good stuff instead of the more mediocre.

More on the six episodes of Bloodride in the segment below.

The six episodes of Bloodride

We’ve been lucky enough to watch half of the episodes in season 1 of Bloodride and while they’re a mixed bag, it’s overall a good experience. Honestly, I loved one, liked another, and was not a fan of the third. That’s why I say it was a “mixed bag”, but hey, isn’t that always the case with anthologies.

Recommended reading: Check out our review of HBO’s Asian horror anthology Folklore here >

UPDATE: Since writing this review, we’ve watched the remaining three episodes. Ratings for all six episodes are included in the following!

The six episodes in Bloodride (and our ratings) are:

• The Ultimate Sacrifice (5/5)

• Three sick Brothers (5/5) 

• Bad Writer (5/5)

• Lab Rat (4/5)

• Old School (3/5)

• Elephant in the Room (2/5)

We initially watched The Ultimate Sacrifice (loved it), Lab Rat (really liked it), and Elephant in the Room (not a fan). As for the three episodes we have yet to watch, my expectations are actually still pretty high. In other words, I see a lot of potential in this Netflix horror anthology.

UPDATE: Since this horror anthology was released on Netflix, we also hurried to watch the three episodes we weren’t given screeners for. Had we watched them, our overall opinion of this Netflix series would have been a lot more positive, which is why this review is being updated to reflect that.

We loved the Three Sick Brothers episode, which is episode 2 of the series. Then came Bad Writer which co-starred the always brilliant Synnøve Macody Lund from the Netflix Ragnarok series. Finally, we also got to watch Old School which has a classic horror plot but also a somewhat lackluster ending.

What’s up with the creepy bus?

The six episodes in Bloodride share a prologue where we are on a mysterious bus driving through a desolate landscape. The passengers on the bus then get off at various stops, when they enter their respective episodes. This is also known as the “wrap-around” for an anthology series.

For Galaxy of Horrors, it was an astronaut floating through space. That particular “wrap-around” was a cool segment on its own. For Bloodride, I can see the idea but I don’t really enjoy watching the segments so it feels like wasted time. But again, that’s just a personal preference. It’s definitely made in a classic horror manner!

Watch season 1 of Bloodride on Netflix

We’ve received screeners for three out of the six episodes for this review. In other words, maybe the three episodes we haven’t watched yet could change our overall opinion of this Norwegian anthology series on Netflix.

The official description of Bloodride is that it “will be chilling, yet jam-packed with humor, and set in a realistic, yet weird universe. A series for family members who enjoy eerie stories and are entertained by blood-curdling horror.”

Most horror fans will probably see “for family members” and “blood-curdling horror” as not belonging in the same sentence. And, to a point, they would be right. However, just remember that Europeans, as a rule, are more laidback when it comes to both being graphic on-screen and letting kids watch along.

Many stories in Bloodride are genre-hybrid, but the three episodes we have seen are definitely horror-thrillers. At least by the end of the episode if not clearly at first.

Finally, I have to give kudos to Netflix for releasing this horror anthology on Friday the 13th. Well done, this is definitely something you should give a chance whether you love horror and fear it. Each episode is only around half an hour so you can handle it. Enjoy!

Season 1 of Bloodride will be out on Netflix from March 13, 2020.

Details

Creators: Kjetil Indregard, Atle Knudsen
Stars: Ine Marie Wilmann, Bjørnar Teigen, Emma Spetalen Magnusson, Benjamin Helstad, Harald Rosenstrøm, Torfinn Nag, Dagny Backer Johnsen, Stig Amdam, Synnøve Macody Lund.