It’s easy to drift into the doldrums as you move through adulthood. Routines feel too familiar. Our jobs, worries and struggles remain ever-present. Even our conversations can start to sound the same. But what if something suddenly disrupted all that? That question is what pulled me into the 2012 indie film “Blood Pressure.”
Written, directed and produced by Sean Garrity, and starring Michelle Giroux, the film follows an unhappily married woman who begins receiving a series of mysterious messages and gifts that slowly reshape her life. It’s an unexpected, quietly unnerving thriller that will leave you wondering: What would you do if you were in that same scenario? Good news: You can stream "Blood Pressure" free on the Roku Channel.
What is 'Blood Pressure' about?
The film opens with Nicole (Michelle Giroux), a married mother of two teenagers, reading a letter. It acknowledges her misery, noting her dissatisfaction with her family life and her career as a pharmacist. As she continues, the letter reveals startlingly intimate details, like how she watches her neighbors to imagine their lives and scrolls job postings in foreign countries when no one is looking.
When the letter ends, the writer gives her a choice: Do nothing or leave the enclosed green card in her front window. We cut to Nicole urging her husband to take a trip to Mexico. He dismisses her almost instantly, barely paying attention, and their teenage kids wander in, derailing the conversation entirely. It’s immediately clear Nicole feels invisible. So it’s no surprise she places the green card in the window.
At the pharmacy, her day doesn’t improve. Her younger, nitpicky boss scolds her for engaging too warmly with customers, and her favorite coworker—the one person she connects with—is about to retire. Piece by piece, we understand why she’d take a step forward with the mysterious letter writer. Who wouldn’t, even out of sheer curiosity?
From there, the film escalates. Nicole begins accepting elaborate gifts: an indulgent spa package, lessons at a local shooting range, and more. Eventually, the letter writer starts asking for favors. She’s instructed to tail a man, eavesdrop on his conversations, and even enter his home to watch him sleep. The letter writer is clearly preparing her for something — boiling the frog slowly — but what exactly? Meanwhile, her home life continues to fray. Each step brings her closer to discovering what the letter writer wants, and who he truly is. The question becomes: how far will she go?
Why you should stream 'Blood Pressure'
“Blood Pressure” is a slow-burn indie thriller that asks for a bit of suspended disbelief. Who would blindly follow instructions from a stranger who knows far too much? And yet, it still feels oddly plausible, maybe because curiosity alone can be such a powerful force. We’re pulled right alongside Nicole as she pieces together what’s happening and why.
Michelle Giroux gives a fantastic performance, capturing Nicole’s gradual transformation with a balance of vulnerability and resolve. I think part of why I connected with her so easily is that I’m roughly her age and I share her character’s first name. It’s a small coincidence, but it made her journey resonate with me just a little more.
The ending left something to be desired, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It’s exactly the kind of quietly gripping film you can sink into on a cold winter morning.
Stream "Blood Pressure" free on the Roku Channel
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