The Bloodettes Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
Whilst the plot of The Bloodettes may be loose and confusing, it’s something new, sexy and stylish. Neon night club lighting, as well as masses of jump cuts, dissolve cuts, and slow motion shots (that would make John Woo proud), all backed by an energetic Tsotsi-esque soundtrack makes this one of the most original films I’ve seen from Africa. This is Cameroon in 2025.
From: Cameroon, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Kanopy
Next: The Killer, Tsotsi, Pumzi
The Breakdown
The first things we see are the lights of Cameroon’s capital city, Yaounde, shining like stars in the night sky. However, the action starts in a neon red and blue lit bedroom where a naked woman is literally bouncing from the bed to the ceiling on a man’s crotch to the beat of the soundtrack. Whilst she’s bouncing, the camera is endlessly jump cutting and replaying the action like a highlight reel on steroids. The craziness ends with the man (who’s apparently almost 100 years old) unsurprisingly dying from a heart attack. The problem for the lady is that the old man was one of the senior government figures.
It’s not particularly clear what happens next. Either the lady and her friends try and cover up the cause of the politician’s death or they are just trying to fulfill the traditional burial customs to avoid bad luck. Whatever they’re trying to do, they get into more trouble when the body inexplicably disappears, leaving the head of the politician in the trunk of their car. As a result, they’ve got to (a) find the body to adhere to traditional burial customs whilst (b) navigating the interrogations from senior politicians to avoid revealing their connection to his death. (Side note: it would be good to dive deeper into how they use tradition and customs to challenge the corrupt power structures overseen by Cameroonian politicians).
A New African Film?
It might sound stupid, but it doesn’t really matter if you’re able to follow the plot as the main attraction of The Bloodettes is how it looks. African film is dominated by images of Westernization and indigenization, tradition and modernity, the local and the global. In contrast, The Bloodettes chooses to create a futuristic world which doesn’t immediately resemble any of the above.
Firstly, there’s no daylight in the entire film – it’s all set at night and lit up by neon lighting. As a result, it looks more like Bladerunner than you’re typical well lit African film. The look is complemented by a loud but minimalist soundtrack in which the beat and echoed voice on loop are the only things you notice. Lastly, the look is enhanced by a lot of jump cuts (in the most engaging parts of the film, the camera is never still), replays, and John Woo style slow motion. It feels like the characters are stuck in a loop with the slow motion, looped soundtrack, and action replays, until the jump cuts start and put time on fast forward. It’s as if the characters are being manipulated or controlled. Their inability to control time and lack of light could be a veiled critique of a controlling state that is unable to progress and develop.
Overall, the world that Jean-Pierre Bekolo creates and the cutting techniques he uses to portray it is unlike anything we’ve seen in African film. It’s a clear diversion from the typical images of Africa on film and arguably helped open up the way for a new African cinema.
What to Watch Next
Jean-Pierre Bekolo borrows from and fuses together a lot of stylistic influences in creating The Bloodettes. Firstly, I’d recommend visiting John Woo – ideally The Killer or Hard Boiled, but Face/Off works too if it’s easier to find – to get familiar with how he makes action films. You’ll see the slow motion and incredibly restless cutting that Jean-Pierre Bekolo uses in The Bloodettes. Secondly, it’s worth checking out Bladerunner or Tron to see another world in darkness lit up by neon lighting. Lastly, there’s the soundtrack which reminded me strongly of Trainspotting and Tsotsi (although Tsotsi wouldn’t be an influence as it was released in the same year).
Or if you want to see more unique African film, check out Wanuri Kahiu’s sci-fi short, Pumzi, as well as Rafiki, the first example of ‘Afro-Bubblegum’ film. There’s also the slapstick comedy of AKasha.
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