Blood Quantum
An Indigenous-led zombie apocalypse turns a Mi'gmaq community's immunity into a furious meditation on colonial violence, survival, and the cost of refuge.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- paranoid
- incendiary
- late night horror
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics generally praised the film's fresh Indigenous perspective, bloody action, and sociopolitical critique while finding its execution uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The zombie outbreak and blood quantum premise invoke Indigenous dispossession, imported disease, racism, and cultural erasure.
The Mi'gmaq reserve community drives the story, with the film explicitly rejecting a default white gaze.
Arresting animated chapter breaks create a comic-book aesthetic within the zombie horror framework.
The immune Mi'gmaq community faces pressure from surrounding populations seeking refuge, forcing questions of protection, solidarity, and extinction.
Films like Blood Quantum, and why
Night of the Living Dead
zombie horror used for incisive social and political commentary
Dawn of the Dead
violent zombie survival horror centered on community, social breakdown, and genre satire
Rhymes for Young Ghouls
indigenous perspective, colonial trauma, and culturally specific horror
The Dead Don't Die
stylized, politically charged horror with marginalized communities confronting systemic violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Jeff Barnaby
- Release Date
- 2019-09-05
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (198)
Cast
- Michael Greyeyes
- Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
- Forrest Goodluck
- Kiowa Gordon
- Olivia Scriven
- Stonehorse Lone Goeman
- Brandon Oakes
- William Belleau
- Devery Jacobs
- Gary Farmer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Blood Quantum about?
- An Indigenous-led zombie apocalypse turns a Mi'gmaq community's immunity into a furious meditation on colonial violence, survival, and the cost of refuge.
- What is Blood Quantum like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blood Quantum as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Blood Quantum violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Blood Quantum as graphic.
- What did critics think of Blood Quantum?
- Critics generally praised the film's fresh Indigenous perspective, bloody action, and sociopolitical critique while finding its execution uneven.
- Which films are like Blood Quantum?
- Films with a similar feel include Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Rhymes for Young Ghouls, and The Dead Don't Die.
- How long is Blood Quantum?
- Blood Quantum runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blood Quantum?
- In United States, Blood Quantum streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel.
