‘Red Ink’: New Vampire Horror Movie Told in a Nearly Unbroken Take

Horror filmmakers have long found creative ways to make their movies stand out through practical effects and ambitious filmmaking techniques. While productions once competed over how many gallons of fake blood they used, another approach has increasingly captured attention: telling an entire story through extended, seemingly uninterrupted shots.

The upcoming vampire thriller Red Ink takes that concept in a different direction. Directors Benjamin J. Murray and Michael Christensen designed the film around a continuous-take presentation, using the technique to build tension and immerse audiences in its period setting.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project originally began as a much larger production titled Blood Bank. Set in a world devastated by a vampiric disease, the planned film imagined a society where blood had become one of the most valuable commodities.

However, the Los Angeles wildfires forced the filmmakers to rethink their plans, eventually leading them to develop Red Ink as a prequel.

Red Ink Takes Place in a 1940s Newspaper Office

With significantly less time and money available, Murray and Christensen decided to scale down the production while maintaining an ambitious visual approach.

“We knew we had to make the film in one location and for a fifth of the money and a fifth of the time [of Blood Bank]. But we wanted it to feel big. So we decided to make it a period film,” Murray explained.

The story unfolds inside the newsroom of a fictional newspaper during the 1940s. As a deadline approaches, editor Hoover, played by Toby Leonard Moore, must decide how the publication will present a developing story and influence public opinion.

His publisher, Walter Nash (D.B. Sweeney), faces pressure from politically ambitious Senator Conrad (Mike Doyle), who sees an opportunity to exploit public fear and push for a government crackdown.

How the Filmmakers Created the Single-Take Effect

Despite the appearance of one continuous shot, Red Ink was assembled using nearly a dozen extended takes, each lasting approximately eight to 10 minutes.

The filmmakers also used equipment associated with Netflix’s acclaimed limited series Adolescence to help achieve the film’s distinctive visual presentation.

The production moved quickly, with Christensen revealing that the team had just three days of preparation followed by an eight-day shoot.

“We had three days prep and an eight day shoot,” Christensen said. “It was really a labor of love, for everyone involved.”

The film also includes a post-credits sequence that connects its story to the events of Blood Bank, setting up the larger vampire-filled world originally envisioned by the filmmakers.

Red Ink premiered this week at the ToruńCamerimage Festival. A wider release date has not yet been announced.