New On Demand and digital download from Small Town Monsters!

BLOODLINES: THE JERSEY DEVIL CURSE (2022)

Directed by Seth Breedlove.
Written by Jason Utes.
Starring Adam Alderson, Meghan Barylak, Lindsay Dunphy, Rycen Earley, Elizabeth Flood, Zachary Palmisano, Adam Reid
Find out more about this film here!!

While it’s not the most popular cryptid, the Jersey Devil is one of the cooler ones. It seems to be part horse, part bat, all monster. And has ties to the early 1900’s witch hunting, cryptid sightings, and local folklore. The monster is supposed to roam the thick forests of the Pine Barrens in New Jersey and BLOODLINES is a documentary that gives those who may not be up to date on the lore the low down.

BLOODLINES is reenactment heavy. Unlike Bigfoot, which has all sorts of grainy footage and physical evidence such as footprints, nests, and hair samples, there really isn’t a lot as far as hard evidence on the Jersey Devil. So this documentary relies on acting out supposed sightings of the monster through the years. Three such events are given the spotlight and while the shorts aren’t setting any thespian records, but with some sweet CGI, these segments are watchable.

I’m not going to lie to you. This wasn’t the best documentaries the Small Town Monsters group have put out. The lack of compelling evidence, the lack of in the field investigation, and the over-abundance of reenactments make for a by-the-numbers focus on the monster and its history. As a fan of all things cryptid, I can count on every Small Town Monsters documentary for a thrill or two, but this one is one of the less effective ones. Hopefully, there will be another Bigfoot documentary coming soon. Those really are informative and fun, as it seems director Seth Breedlove really has a passion for Bigfoot investigation. BLOODLINES: THE JERSEY DEVIL CURSE delivers the bare minimum and would only be useful for those who know nothing about this weird little cryptid. If you’re looking for better fictional films about the Jersey Devil, I suggest THE BARRENS by Darren Lynn Bousmann, the BLAIR WITCH found footage prototype from the 90’s called THE LAST BROADCAST, and the do-it-yourself low fi goodness that is the BAD BEN series.

Check out the trailer here!!