# Bloody Axe Wound
**Bloody Axe Wound** is a 2024 American horror comedy film written and directed by Matthew John Lawrence, in which the teenage daughter of a serial killer who films his own murders and sells them as slasher movies must choose between the family trade and her first crush.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) It opened in limited theaters on December 27, 2024 and began streaming on Shudder and AMC+ on March 21, 2025.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Matthew John Lawrence, his third feature film[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) • [2](https://cjf.tcnj.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/381/2025/09/The-Roar-24-25-.pdf) |
| Genre and runtime | Horror comedy, 1 hour 23 minutes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) |
| Release | Limited theatrical release December 27, 2024; streaming March 21, 2025[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) |
| Lead cast | Sari Arambulo as Abbie Bladecut, Billy Burke as Roger Bladecut, Molly Brown as Sam Crane, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Butch Slater[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) |
| Producers | Hilarie Burton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Liz DeCesare, Jordan Manekin, Cassandra Del Viscio, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Eric Knapp[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) |
| Distributor | RLJ Entertainment / Shudder; production companies Mischief Farm and Off Label HV[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) |
| Reception | 29% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (17 reviews) and 49% on the Popcornmeter (50+ ratings); 5.0/10 on IMDb from about 1,700 users[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975842) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
The story is set in the small town of Clover Falls, where popular teenagers are killed by a disfigured, masked killer named Roger Bladecut (Billy Burke), a figure in the Freddy, Jason, and [Michael Myers](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-myers-halloween) tradition. The deaths are filmed and sold as horror movies at the local video store that Roger runs.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/18/bloody-axe-wound-review) His adopted daughter Abbie ([Sari Arambulo](https://www.edgepedia.org/sari-arambulo)) works at the store and wants to follow her father into the family business, but when she befriends intended victims, including her first crush Sam Crane (Molly Brown), a queer punk rock misfit, she begins to question the trade.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) • [5](https://www.pride.com/culture/movies/bloody-axe-wound-clip)
Before Abbie takes over the killing, Roger teaches her three rules: work fast and get out, never let them see your face, and give the people a show. When Roger turns his attention to Abbie's new friends, she learns what the review in Horror Press calls an unwritten fourth rule: do not fall in love.[6](https://horrorpress.com/reviews/8468/review-the-unique-tradition-of-bloody-axe-wound/?amp=1) The film's tagline is "High school can be a killer."[7](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/bloody-axe-wound/oTCMLiagJqtH5oZyAKNco2/showtimes/)
## Production
Lawrence, a 2005 alumnus and professor at The College of New Jersey, began the script nearly a decade before release; the original concept was a "horror-comedy version of 'The Office.'" Plans for the film were set in motion in 2020, after *The Walking Dead* star [Jeffrey Dean Morgan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffrey-dean-morgan) and his wife, the actress [Hilarie Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/hilarie-burton), contacted Lawrence following the release of his second feature, *Uncle Peckerhead* (2020).[2](https://cjf.tcnj.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/381/2025/09/The-Roar-24-25-.pdf) The film was produced by Bullmoose Pictures and Dynamatt Productions, with Mischief Farm, the Morgans' company, among the production credits.[2](https://cjf.tcnj.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/381/2025/09/The-Roar-24-25-.pdf) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) Morgan also appears briefly on screen as Butch Slater.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound)
The film relies on practical gore effects and a retro visual style that critics connected to 1980s slashers, video stores, and horror comics.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) The Guardian noted a soundtrack "crammed with riot grrrl riffs" alongside the practical effects.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/18/bloody-axe-wound-review)
## Reception
Professional reviews were mixed to negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 29% Tomatometer from 17 critics and a 49% Popcornmeter score from more than 50 audience ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) Catherine Bray of *The Guardian* gave it 2 out of 5, writing that the premise "really doesn't work" and that the film draws attention to its own artificiality, while crediting charismatic performances from Sam Crane and Eddie Leavy.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/18/bloody-axe-wound-review) Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave 2 of 4 stars, finding the coming-of-age material the strongest part but the comedy lackluster.[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bloody-axe-wound-film-review) Emily von Seele of Daily Dead called it "a frustrating horror comedy that is largely saved by its huge heart."[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) ComingSoon.net was warmer, scoring it 7 out of 10 and praising the practical gore and the central performances of Arambulo and Brown.[9](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/reviews/1894555-bloody-axe-wound-review-tearing-at-the-heart-of-things)
Common Sense Media rated the film appropriate for ages 16 and up, describing it as a "super-gory slasher parody" with extreme blood and gore and strong language, and noting that Abbie is played by the Filipina American actor Sari Arambulo.[10](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bloody-axe-wound) The film carries a TV-MA rating on streaming platforms.[11](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-4c00bd75-ddb6-40fe-8401-987aa3144d69)
## Availability
In the United States the film streams on Hulu, Shudder, AMC+, and Philo, and can be rented or bought on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home; it is also available on Disney+ and on DVD.[12](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/bloody-axe-wound) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound) After the March 21, 2025 streaming debut in the United States and United Kingdom, releases followed in Italy, Germany (May 7, 2026), and other territories.[13](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975842/releaseinfo/)
## References
1. [Bloody Axe Wound, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bloody_axe_wound)
2. [CJF professor Matthew Lawrence brings original horror-comedy film to the big screen, The Roar (TCNJ)](https://cjf.tcnj.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/381/2025/09/The-Roar-24-25-.pdf)
3. [Bloody Axe Wound (2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975842)
4. [Bloody Axe Wound review, The Guardian (Catherine Bray, March 18, 2025)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/18/bloody-axe-wound-review)
5. [A slasher gets a lesbian crush in this Bloody Axe Wound clip, PRIDE.com](https://www.pride.com/culture/movies/bloody-axe-wound-clip)
6. [Review: The Unique Tradition of Bloody Axe Wound, Horror Press](https://horrorpress.com/reviews/8468/review-the-unique-tradition-of-bloody-axe-wound/?amp=1)
7. [Bloody Axe Wound Showtimes, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/bloody-axe-wound/oTCMLiagJqtH5oZyAKNco2/showtimes/)
8. [Bloody Axe Wound movie review, RogerEbert.com (Simon Abrams, December 27, 2024)](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bloody-axe-wound-film-review)
9. [Bloody Axe Wound Review: Tearing at the Heart of Things, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/reviews/1894555-bloody-axe-wound-review-tearing-at-the-heart-of-things)
10. [Bloody Axe Wound Parents' Guide, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bloody-axe-wound)
11. [Bloody Axe Wound, Disney+](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-4c00bd75-ddb6-40fe-8401-987aa3144d69)
12. [Bloody Axe Wound streaming: where to watch online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/bloody-axe-wound)
13. [Bloody Axe Wound (2024) release info, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6975842/releaseinfo/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Horror films (individual works) › Slasher films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license