Interview by Paul Salfen
In the sun-baked expanse of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where white sands stretch like an otherworldly canvas and the weight of real-world struggles hangs heavy in the air, a small team of filmmakers gathered to create something extraordinary. It was here, amid national parks and late-night diners, that Oscar-nominated documentary director Pedro Kos made his narrative debut with In Our Blood, a film that starts as an intimate reunion story and spirals into a chilling psychological mystery. Starring Brittany O’Grady as filmmaker Emily Wyland and E.J. Bonilla as her cinematographer Danny, the movie follows Emily’s attempt to document her reconciliation with her estranged mother—only for the woman to vanish, forcing the duo to unravel a web of sinister clues tied to addiction and societal neglect.
But as I sat down with Kos, O’Grady, and Bonilla in a virtual roundtable—echoing the collaborative spirit they describe from set—the conversation revealed that In Our Blood is more than a genre-bending thriller. It’s a mirror held up to our world’s hidden cruelties, blending raw documentary grit with horror’s sharp edges. “This is not some magical fictional world,” Kos emphasizes. “This is our own world and the humanity that we’re not seeing.” Drawing from his doc roots in films like Rebel Hearts and Lead Me Home, Kos approached this project as a “hypercharged doc,” immersing his cast and crew in the real Las Cruces—a border town grappling with homelessness, addiction, and economic hardship—to spotlight the “unseen” victims at society’s margins.
The joy of creation shines through their recollections, turning what could have been a grueling shoot into a bonding adventure. Bonilla, whose Danny brings a grounded, outsider perspective to the lens, recalls the early call times with a grin. “Every day was a dream,” he says. “We cracked up laughing every day. I couldn’t wait to go to set.” The trio bonded over explorations of White Sands National Park, a stunning sea of gypsum dunes that left an indelible mark. “White Sands was dope,” O’Grady chimes in, her eyes lighting up at the memory. “We got to explore national parks, travel together, meet each other’s family members. It felt very intimate creating the film.”
Kos nods in agreement, highlighting how this immersion was key to the film’s authenticity. Arriving a week early for rehearsals, the team drove around, visited real clinics, and even filmed at Camp Hope, an actual encampment featured in the movie. “We wanted the film to feel as grounded as a documentary,” Kos explains. “Interviewing folks who lived there, hearing their real stories—that was a privilege.” This approach not only fostered chemistry but infused the narrative with urgency, making the horror elements feel eerily plausible. As Kos puts it in his director’s statement, every frame is personified through Danny’s camera or Emily’s iPhone, offering an “outsider” view from marginalized perspectives. “Perspective is at the heart of In Our Blood,” he writes. “We create an intimacy and immediacy that immerses us in their world.”
Yet beneath the fun lay profound takeaways. O’Grady’s Emily is an observer navigating tumultuous waters, steadying herself amid chaos—a role that taught her about resilience and empathy. “I learned so much about humanity,” she reflects. “Emily is trying to stay steady in really tumultuous waters.” Bonilla, meanwhile, saw Danny as a voice for the voiceless, a character shaped by his history and societal biases. “This is a real person somewhere,” he says earnestly. “I get the opportunity to give voice to those that are often voiceless… That would always ground me in a scene.”
For Kos, the film’s twist—reframing everything viewers have seen—forces a reckoning with complicity. “It makes you rethink everything,” he says. “Not just to watch the film again for enjoyment, but to dig deeper and question why we weren’t seeing certain things.” Inspired by Las Cruces’ real challenges, the story confronts how society preys on the vulnerable, urging audiences to connect with those long disregarded. “Emily’s final turn is inspired by her connection to Danny and the victims of our world,” Kos notes in his statement, “and her recognition of the complicity she shares in their dehumanization.”
As our chat wrapped, the enthusiasm was palpable—a testament to a project that transcended the screen. “It was one of the most special experiences of my life,” Kos admits, echoing hopes for future collaborations. For viewers, In Our Blood promises not just thrills, but a thought-provoking journey: a call to see the unseen, confront our ghosts, and perhaps, in the process, rebuild a more just world. As the credits roll, you might find yourself rewatching—not for clues, but for clarity.
