Blessid (2015) Online

"Blessid" is a difficult film to strongly recommend. On one hand, some of the story is exceptional and quite original. But, on the other, the story also has a lot of distractions...things that could have been shortened or eliminated in order to make the film work better. I talked with the screenwriter for the film, Robert Heske, and it turns out he agreed with some of my concerns. Additionally, I then learned that this is Heske's first full-length film and despite being a bit rough, there is a lot to like and the film shows lots of promise.

The story begins with Sarah (Rachel Kerbs) married and soon to have her first child. She should be happy, right? Well, in this case no...Sarah is extremely depressed and suicidal...with no direction in her life and a loveless marriage. Some of it is perhaps due to her husband but most is that Sarah is tormented by baggage. Through the course of the movie, you learn that when she was a teen, her sister died and she and her mother blame her for this. So no matter what good happens in her life, Sarah is filled with guilt and is just miserable. Even a stint in a psychiatric hospital did nothing to help Sarah with her self-hatred. However, when a strange new neighbor, Jedediah (Rick Montgomery Jr.), moves in, her life begins to show some....well...life! He's an odd sort of guy and a man with many, many secrets. What they are and how he helps her, you'll just have to see for yourself. Suffice to say, the two are very well written, complex and interesting characters. Plus the actors really did an amazing job in playing these demanding parts. I especially was excited watching Montgomery, as there aren't many meaty parts for middle-aged guys...and he makes the most of it.

As I mentioned earlier, the film has a few problems. When it's not focused on Sarah and Jedediah, the story seems confusing and a bit overly complicated. Frankly, I just wanted to see more of these two people and the others didn't necessarily have to be in the film or their parts could have been trimmed a bit to help the movie. According to Henke, the original film actually did have much more in it about strange friendship...I would love to have been able to see what didn't make it into the movie.

What we are left with is a film that isn't perfect but which shows a lot of promise for the screenwriter. Additionally, two actors who may not have an extensive set of credits but who deserve to be seen more. Overall, this is enough to give "Blessid" a mild recommendation and it's available now through Amazon Prime. Also, parents might want to beware, as the language can be a bit rough...which isn't surprising due to the woman's depression and the folks in her life.

I started watching this movie with no idea what it was about or expectations. That's why I'm not going to summarize the plot. Because the movie works best in discovering the truths that lie beneath the surfaces of the two main characters: a beleaguered pregnant woman and her odd neighbor from across the street.

I was singularly impressed with every aspect of the film. As a screenwriter, I was particularly impressed by the filmmaker's use of long takes, in which the two characters had conversations so gripping, I hung on every word. This is especially true for the big revelation made at roughly the mid-point of the movie. This speaks well, not only of the screenplay, but of the director's trust in and respect for the audience's intelligence.

The film has its creepy and unsettling moments, but I can't truly characterize it as a horror flick. It's more like a story of redemption and hope. And how, even when you feel you have no worth, someone may be looking out for you.

I will warn you, though, I'm not a big fan of depicting cruelty to animals. And while a certain scene with a cat nearly made me lose it, the movie's overall theme of forgiveness and spiritual renewal more than made up for that.

Blessid is a taught film that successfully manages to combine drama, action, and even the supernatural into an engaging story. Everyone -- below the line and above -- does great work!

(The cinematography was especially refreshing. It's clean and crisp and professional, and it captures the East coast hamlet where the film is set very well. It's always nice to see a film that is shot somewhere OTHER than Los Angeles!)

I know that Blessid has had a deservedly successful festival run, so I'm looking forward to its eventual distribution. Check it out when you have the chance!

All these 10-star reviews (that sucked me in and inspired me to write my first-ever review) sound suspiciously similar.

We tried, but no possible twist or ending could make this movie worth enduring to the end. Awful writing, wooden acting, and a complete yawn of a "story." That was 45 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

I feel I need to preface this review of the movie BLESSID explaining the first day of shooting was at my home, specifically in our greenhouse in exchange for tickets for my family to the premier and my name in the credits (well sort of anyway, LOL). That being said, I have no financial interest in the movie success.

It was fun and interesting watching the crew at work setting up and working through the scene. There is so much work in planning and execution for every detail. Lights, camera, audio, all working around Rachel Kerbs to get exacting imagery to tell the viewer a convincing tale. The work obviously stayed focused throughout the entire production as the movie far exceeded my expectations. I was taken by how well the story flowed from scene to scene, a true testament to the collaboration between Producer, Storyteller Bob Heske and Director Rob Fitz. The lighting, photography, and the soundtrack all worked so well. I have a critical eye and the one thing that stuck with me was the fact no details were left uncovered or glossed over. The actors were convincing and natural throughout the film. The whole movie was buffed and polished. To the entire cast and crew I say, Bravo!

Uneventful. Slow.

We kept waiting for something to happen. Anything at all but it kept just trotting along at the same pace. Anticlimactic. Maybe if you've never seen a movie before or haven't seen many movies you might find it watchable.

Wasted the whole night in this movie, wish I turned it off at the beginning and put something better on.

If you're looking for a fresh story, with an engaging cast then this is a must see film.

The story of Sarah's past unfolds in a way that makes you wonder if she will evolve or implode. The real homes and streets were a welcome change from Hollywood sets and green screen special effects. In that way, Blessid feels a lot more true to life.

I agree that it was a surprise ending, but in my opinion that's what make it so fresh. I'd rather see this film 10 times instead of seeing yet another remake of Star Trek, Spiderman, or King Kong.

It's too bad that film studios have stopped making movies like Blessid. Thankfully, Heske and Fitz gave us this great Indie film that should get some well deserved exposure on Amazon.

​Blessid is a taut and well crafted tale of unbearable guilt and redemption. From the beginning, the script captures the viewer. Every time I feared Blessid would veer toward standard thriller clichés, I was surprised by the film's clever and interesting turns. Despite the gravity of its themes, Blessid displays a lightness of touch, even humor. This is most notable when issues of spirituality are introduced., Too often, in other cinema, these are highlighted by special effects or too obvious symbolism. Here there is a deftness amplified by the acting of all the principals, as well as a soundtrack notable for its excellent match with scene and text. Rachel Kerb and Gene Silvers stand out with the quality of their performances established in the realism of the first scenes. As the man of mystery, Rick Montgomery's low key presentation is just what is needed. Madeline O'Brien and Gina Pardi as young sisters do a good job showing the warmth and camaraderie between the two which is so necessary to the plot. All in all, Blessid is an unexpectedly gripping and intriguing film.

This movie impressed me when I saw it at the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival. Not really knowing much about it I was expecting a run of the mill straight to video generic horror film. Instead what I saw was an intelligent film with a lot of heart. The cast - and specifically Rachel Kerbs - was outstanding! The pace was pitch perfect, as it set the tone for the story to be told. Blessid has to be one of the most ingenious and smartest independent films to come along in years! Not only is BLESID a smart, hopeful and suspenseful thriller, but It is also that rare combination of a great script with a great cast and direction!

This is a great thought provoking movie. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in Blessid. The story was so unique that I couldn't anticipate anything throughout the movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had tremendous visual effects. Very well scripted and well done by both the actors and crew. It was nice to walk away from the film knowing you saw something very unique from the main screen movies today, but it had the same great production and value. I really liked the trailer for the film, but was very pleased that it didn't give away many of the plot twists that were in the film. Something that is rare these days. Great story and will strongly recommend to others.

My wife and I were lucky enough to attend the world premiere of Blessid a few weeks ago near Boston. I'm interested in lots of movies filmed in the area where I live, but Blessid is so much more than a local film. The story line is intriguing, the dialog is both deep and humorous (at times) and the ending is a surprise. Many of the actors are not well known, but I would bet we'll be seeing them a lot more in future pictures. Kudos, too, to the overall cinematography and editing; you can tell this was lovingly produced over many months of creative work. This movie deserves widespread distribution, and I hope it gets it. Highly recommended.

Especially the guy who played Evan... Wow! Talk about bad acting... he ruined much of this film, I have seen high school performances better then this guy. Story had potential but was was ruined.

I've watched this film more than once, and it's fresh every time. The details you might miss the first time are more relevant today than ever. The underlying torment and suicidal thoughts Sarah has are brilliantly wovjen into a chilling suspenseful conflict until she ... well, watch for yourself ad find out.

I recently checked out 'Blessid' on Amazon Prime and was quite impressed. Rachel Kerbs does a really nice job as the lead, and the film has really nice cinematography.

It creates a good story, with a limited cast size, and the opening title sequence is very well done. I thought the twist was clever and the film had a very cool old spooky Salem feel to it all.

I would have preferred the husband character to serve a bit more of a purpose in the later half of the movie, but it is nothing dealbreaking.

Overall a very good independent film that was an enjoyable watch. Would recommend.

I watched about 30 minutes of nothing! Waste of my time.????