Review: Hemophiliac vampire flick ‘Aaron’s Blood’ is so bad it’s ... no, it’s just bad

What if a hemophiliac were a vampire? This mildly creative concept fuels “Aaron’s Blood,” but there’s little else to keep its heart beating. Writer-director Tommy Stovall built the indie horror movie around his son Trevor, who plays the tween bloodsucker, but the lifeless script and bland performances damn the film and the unlucky viewers who find it.

Widower father Aaron (James Martinez) only wants the best for his 12-year-old kid, Tate (Stovall). After a bully’s beating lands the young hemophiliac in the hospital, he begins to display odd behavior and strange physical symptoms. With the help of a vampire hunter (Michael Chieffo), Aaron tries to find a cure before his son’s humanity is gone.

Though “Aaron’s Blood” aims for emotional resonance in its story about a father and son (who happens to be a vampire), it mostly provokes giggles. It’s not quite “so bad it’s good,” which makes it even worse. The problems don’t lie in the low budget or special effects; instead, they’re all in the screenplay. Dream sequences abound and cheat the unfortunate audience, and they’re surrounded by clunky expository dialogue that feels like a smack to the forehead.

“Aaron’s Blood” has all the appearances of being an actual movie, but little attention has been paid to anything beyond its central conceit — which is never fully developed.

-------------

‘Aaron’s Blood’

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Playing: Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood; Arena Cinelounge Santa Monica

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »

calendar@latimes.com