While more known for its horror originals, Shudder just released a sci-fi space opera that has to been seen to be believed. Blending stunning visuals, with a fun 80’s synth soundtrack, and a bizarre B-movie plot, Blood Machines is…well it’s something.

Not About Plot
On the surface, Blood Machines is just the story of two spaceship crew members who get attacked by scavengers that unleash a ghost that ends up being able to control ships and even goes to transcend space and time.

What it lacks in conventional storytelling, it makes up for in surrealism and beautiful visual aesthetic. It’s honestly something that would be just an interesting to watch on mute, but then of course you’d miss out on the awesome soundtrack.

Music Video Style
In many ways Blood Machines is a sequel to the Carpenter Brut music video “Turbo Killer”, also directed by Seth Ickerman. The original video boasts a lot of the same icons and visuals, and while it partly takes place in our modern world, Blood Machines takes Carpenter Brut’s music and goes full sci-fi with it.

As far as “feature length” music videos go, Blood Machines has a lot of style. Granted, it’s not strong on plot or substance, but that was never really the point of it. It succeeds brilliantly at exactly what it sets out to do.

Upon release, Shudder has it as three separate “episodes”, but it would honestly probably play better as one continuous movie, because the opening and closing credits between each part can break up the flow of it.

Other than that, it’s a lot of fun. And if you’ve never heard Carpenter Brut’s music before, it may just open you up to a new musical horizon!

Blood Machines is streaming exclusively on Shudder

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