Blood Lust, Sultry Blonde Vampire

You need blood drawn? Go to a phlebotomist. Kind of like a vampire...they draw your blood.  Okay, so let us say the phlebotomist is a vampire...with fangs!  Now let's say she is a sultry blonde. I admit, the appeal of this idea does not match the idea for "Underworld" or "BloodRayne."  Still, we do have a pretty blonde with fangs, a vicious serial killer who also likes to drink blood, and a pathetic down on his luck detective.  Our feature today is 2023's "Blood Lust" (aka "Blood Thirst"), directed by Christopher McCleod.

Back in 1969, a sultry blonde hitchhiker, Vanessa (Lindsey Mitchell) is picked up by a sultry vampire, Layla (Dorothy Hadley Joly). Layla attacks and turns Vanessa into a vampire. Layla kills because she likes it.  Vanessa does not like killing humans and flees.  Present day, Vanessa is a phlebotomist and pays homeless peeps for their blood.  A win-win for all involved. Uh oh...Bento (Sky Crystal) is a serial killer who runs a comic book shop. He lures his victims into the back, knocks them out, and drinks their blood.  He's not a vampire but wants to be one.  His victims body parts start showing up in ditches and in the woods and now Detective Walker (Tim Michael Schmidt) is on the case.  Will coincidences never cease? Walker and Vanessa are neighbors.

Vanessa drinks blood she pays for, largely.  Of course when someone tries to rape her or mug her, she drinks their blood, too.  By accident, Bento finds out about Vanessa and wants her.  Vanessa meets Walker and kind of likes him...though if you ask me, she is out of his league. Bento sets his sights on Vanessa.  He even crafts a wooden stake and buys a hatchet.  Walker finds clues that will get him closer to Bento. Where is this all headed?  You'll see.

Just how does Bento plan on forcing Vanessa to turn him into a bloodsucker?  Will Vanessa help Walker solve the case or does she intend to dispose of Bento in dumpsters?  Does Bento have what it takes to defeat a babe vampire?  Stylish and grim, "Blood Lust" is a nice vampire film...with a babe vampire.