Holy Blood

Cast & Crew

Axel Jodorowsky

Fenix

Blanca Guerra

Concha

Guy Stockwell

Orgo

Sabrina Dennison

Alma

Thelma Tixou

The Tattooed Woman

Adan Jodorowsky

Young Fenix

Faviola Elenka Tapia

Young Alma

Zonia Rangel Mora

Trini

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Director

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Writer

Roberto Leoni

Writer

Claudio Argento

Screenwriter

Rene Cardona Jr.

Executive Producer

Angelo Iacono

Executive Producer

Claudio Argento

Producer

Simon Boswell

Original Music

Daniele Nannuzzi

Cinematographer

Mauro Bonanni

Film Editing

Pablo Leder

Casting

Alejandro Luna

Production Design

Enrique Estévez

Set Decoration

Tolita Figueroa

Costume Design

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Holy Blood

The Matrix Trilogy, Bad Santa, Chef, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

View All

Critic Reviews for Holy Blood

Audience Reviews for Holy Blood

• Dec 07, 2018

  Think of it as a psychedelic "Psycho" that plays out in the landscape of the subconscious. A gloriously surreal ride.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Jul 24, 2014

  Santa Sangre follows a young man named Fenix from his traumatizing childhood through the present attempting to live a normal life. The film narrative is straightforward while the way it tells it story is surreal. Right from the introduction of Fenix we understand this young man is not well. Once the flashback begins you receive the foundation that structures religion, sexuality, obsession, and identity into it central themes. Each introduce in odd context that triggers an array of emotions. One scene in particular that stood out occurred after the funeral of a circus Elephant. A huge coffin carrying the corpse is hauled by a truck to a ravine and tipped over the edge to get eaten by the locals in a shanty town. Not only does this easily telegraphed how distraught a young Fenix must be feeling, but also illustrate the contrast between the joyous surreal circus life and the cruel reality when it comes into the picture when Fenix is a full grown adult. It's a scene that imprint an odd image as much as it does fuel interpretations on its possible meaning. Every scene is easy to read and the meaning upon receiving development become layered. It's a film that while reliant heavily on metaphors has dialogue that directly gets across the main story. While the metaphors are tackling the subjectivity behind faith indirectly. In the center of attention is the more direct physiological torment of Fenix. Whose unable to free himself from the control of his mother. Fenix and his mother are in hindsight very complicated characters. One lives with a mask of following a faith she herself doesn't live purely by her faith. Another is a man whose unable to form an identity of himself. Characters arrive in all forms of personality further adding to that surreal nature of the narrative. Fenix and his mother have the most prominent roles in the story being told. Together these two offer a story about redemption and revenge. In hindsight, Fenix childhood sneakily provides clever characterization or a physiological regression. As a young boy, Fenix wears a man's moustache to imitate maturity. During his childhood he shows the least amount of childlike fear or sadness arguably in his mentally assured state. As oppose when Fenix becomes an adult he's unable to detach himself from his mother influence for his own livelihood. Another usage of Fenix characteristics are the usage of birds. When we first meet Fenix, he is locked in a nuthouse, living like a human bird. His obsession with the mime-faced deaf/mute girl centers around her graceful panto of a hawk. Until the birds disappear from visual sight to juxtapose the trap Fenix is in - mentally and physically - with the freedom of being unable to simply 'fly away' from his mother control. The best aspect about these birds narrative usage is even if its missed the same intention gets across. Fenix mother, Concha, is positioned in the story in such a way where nothing ever feels lost when it narrative reaches it conclusion. Concha is a given a backstory that conveys her upcoming downfall and a motivation that is shown in developing in her scenes. Becoming a fleshed out character with her own arc. One key moment in the film that is rather genius is the film twist. I was able to catch the usage of birds as metaphors, but this twist genuinely caught me off guard. Not only does the twist has the potential to catch any viewer off guard, but it's rather fitting for the film surreal nature. Closing the story metaphorically on its themes while directly closing the conflict Fenix faces. Alejandro Jodorowsky lets his visuals do the speaking more so than his dialogue. The rich color palette adds to the almost otherworldly elements of the visual narrative. Mixing colorful costumes and set designs against the dark context of scene. From the sterility of the hospital gives way to an explosion of vivid colous when we fly to the circus. Before long, this multihued vibrancy is then itself with the bizarre 'elephant funeral procession' is burdened with sobering blacks and charcoal complete with a grey American Flag. Jodorowsky visuals is a story tool giving it more meaning than just simply looking pretty. Laid on top of the visuals is an incredibly convincing musical score. Simon Boswell's soundtrack fluently bonds with the varying moods to become immersed in the Mexican fantasy. Blanca Guerra is excellent in the role of Concha. Her ability to convey far surpasses her co stars who all play characters with their arms in tact. Axel Jodorowsky delivers a more subdue performance which he pulls off. There's hardly a moment of certainty in the way he deliver his lines going hand to hand with his characters. Where these two actors shine are their scenes working in perfect sync. Using Axel Jodorowsky hands to convey the illusion of Blanca Guerra hands movement in several are synce in movement and emotion. It's a convincing sight to behold when the actors have great chemistry and can in sync in such scenes so perfectly. Santa Sangre (Holy Blood) covers various themes both directly and indirectly that is not accomplished very often in filmmaking. It's a film that has a straightforward story and the viewer understands there's plenty of layers behind the way it's made, but never does it offer a moment of doubt in its execution. Not everything Santa Sangre touches on will immediately come around in full circle for a revelation in how it balanced all of it themes. Neither is it lost on the audience telling a straightforward story that even if not the pieces come together the intention of it is never lost. On a technical level it's an achievement of captivating visuals, the performances are outstanding, and the narrative very fulfilling even without all its meaning being found. Plain and simple it's a masterpiece.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Feb 19, 2013

  Santa Sangre is a surreal, completely unique drama that doesn't always work, but when it does it's almost hypnotic in its strangeness. Despite the hallucinatory visual style and (intentionally) caricatured characters, it tells a relatively straight-forward story that is for the most part, although not always, grounded in reality. The first half, which is an extended flashback to the traumatic circus childhood of the protagonist Fenix, is much more engaging and interesting than the second half. One scene especially is absolutely heart-rending during this first half, involving the young Fenix witnessing one of the circus elephants dying. Moments like this are when Santa Sangre works best, because it's able to connect emotionally despite all of its strange imagery and symbolism. Of course there are also some very fun scenes that thrive on weirdness, the best by far being the one in which Fenix's mother catches his father cheating on her with the circus's tattooed woman, with violent results. The second half of the film seems to sacrifice all of the personal and relatable aspects of the first, opting for strangeness over emotion. The ending redeems this weaker second half very well though. I obviously won't reveal what the ending is, but I will say it's absolutely bizarre and it involves clowns, puppets, and some serious mommy issues. Santa Sangre is an imperfect film, but even in its weaker moments there is always something to be enjoyed about it, and more often that not it's strangely gripping.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Sep 23, 2012

  In "Santa Sangre," Concha(Blanca Guerra) runs away from the circus to start a cult that is centered around a murdered girl with no arms. Since all things must end, their church is being threatened by developers. Luckily for them, a monsignor(Sergio Bustamante) intervenes but is shocked when he finds out that the supposed pool of blood is really filled with paint. Without his support, the demolition proceeds and since nobody else has the courage of their convictions, Concha is left alone in the path of the bulldozer. But her son Fenix(Adan Jodorowsky) comes to her emotional rescue, reminding her that there are more important things to live for. As she rejoins the circus, she is none too thrilled to see her husband's(Guy Stockwell) eyes wandering to the tattooed lady(Thelma Tixou). All of that really is just a setup for an adult Fenix(Axel Jodorowsky) to climb the walls naked in a mental hospital before eating some raw fish that is not sushi. And as much as I admire Alejandro Jodorowsky for trying something different from his usual symbolic religious works, why did it have to be a garden variety horror film, albeit one with some underlying psychological meaning? In any case, the circus setting is by far the best part of the movie and more could have done to explore that.
  

  walter m Super Reviewer