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Film history is filled with xenophobic tales of pretty Americans who disappear in foreign lands and the pretty people tasked with finding them, and this week sees the induction into this ignominious club of what could be its worst entry. “In the Blood” is a dull piece of nonsense, a film that makes one feel bad for straight-to-DVD staples like Treat Williams , Danny Trejo , and Luis Guzman . When you reach the critical point that you consider Trejo, the star of such gems as “Zombie Hunter” and “Dead in Tombstone”, to be above this material, you know you’re in a rare category of awful.

“In the Blood” is a film for which it’s hard to find something even remotely positive to say. Even the scenes that should have some sort of action-based, visceral charge are flat and inconsequential (and far too rare). It looks downright hideous, as if most of it was shot on a Go Pro. It could be used as a what-not-to-do example in an editing class; coverage feels off, the pacing is leaden, and the film develops absolutely no visual language of its own. The acting ranges from serviceable to simply dreadful, the plotting is utter nonsense, and, again, there isn’t even engaging action to make up for the silly narrative.

In opening narration that sounds pulled from a YA empowerment "Hunger Games" wannabe, Ava ( Gina Carano ) informs us that she was told by her father to “Never cry because those tears will be used against me.” She’s tough. Get it? But she’s not too tough to get married to Derek ( Cam Gigandet ) and jet off on a sun-kissed honeymoon. From the very beginning, Carano and Gigandet have zero chemistry. Watching them cavort in the surf and cuddle in the sun has all the believability of a Sandals commercial and it’s just one of the first scenes that feels horrendously, almost fascinatingly off in its pacing.

Ava and her new husband get into an altercation (with Danny Trejo, natch) at a nightclub and the action promised by casting the star of " Haywire " and "Fast & Furious 6" in a lead role feels like it will finally be fulfilled. And yet even this bit of fighting in a fancy dress doesn’t work. It’s shot with constant strobe lights meant to replicate the club setting, filmed from horrendous angles, and poorly choreographed. Even with that, I found myself longing for it half an hour later when the film gives up on action for its missing-man plotline.

The day after the nightclub altercation, Ava and Derek go ziplining (for what feels like forever), where the new husband falls hundreds of feet, injuring himself horribly (but not enough that his cell phone stops working). An ambulance is called and Derek is shuttled off to presumed surgery and internal bleeding, but when Ava gets to the hospital, they have no idea what she’s talking about. Derek is missing. Was it the fighter from the club the night before? Someone else? A local police chief (Luis Guzman, who deserves SO much better) starts to suspect that Ava has something to do with Derek’s disappearance because, well, it’s a movie and he has to.

Ava’s dad tells her in flashback that she’s “going to learn to go beyond the limit” and yet “In the Blood” is defined by its limitations. It’s not gritty enough to work as the story of a damsel in distress in a foreign land. It’s not tough enough to deliver as action escapism. It is limited in every way. Not a split second of it feels real or genuine, so one is tempted to view it as B-movie escapism, but it’s way too boring to work as that. “In the Blood” never even gives Carano much of a chance to do what she does well. There’s almost no action to speak of in the “what happened to my husband” middle act. And so this physically powerful but emotionally flat performer is forced to carry a narrative about which it is literally impossible to care. Your mind will wander. You’ll start ticking off great Luis Guzman performances. You’ll wonder if certain scenes were shot on an iPhone. You’ll entirely give up on caring what happened to Derek and just hope something, anything interesting happens to Ava. And you’ll wish you were watching a better Danny Trejo movie.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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In the Blood (2014)

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Gina Carano as Ava

Cam Gigandet

Luis Guzmán

Amaury Nolasco

Ismael Cruz Cordova

Treat Williams

Stephen Lang

Danny Trejo

• John Stockwell
• Bennett Yellin
• James Robert Johnston

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Film Review: ‘In the Blood’

Gina Carano plays a new bride looking for her kidnapped husband in this serviceable action vehicle.

By Ben Kenigsberg

Ben Kenigsberg

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Pulses are likely to remain level during “ In the Blood ,” a serviceable vehicle for MMA champ Gina Carano (“Haywire”). In a plot that variously recalls “True Lies,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “Kill Bill,” Carano plays a new bride looking forward to a tranquil domestic life who’s forced to deploy her secret, all-purpose beatdown skills after her husband disappears. Given the limited release (the film is opening simultaneously on VOD), B.O. potency will depend on getting the word out to Carano’s fans, who may already be used to watching her on pay-per-view.

Perhaps inadvertently, the kidnapped-vacationers plot revisits territory director John Stockwell explored in 2006’s organ-trafficking thriller “Turistas,” down to a subplot involving a nonconsensual transfusion. A prologue sets the stage on the mean streets of Bridgeport, Conn., in 2002, when Ava (played as a teenager by Paloma Olympia Louvat) witnesses and avenges the murder of her self-styled “outlaw” father (Stephen Lang) —  a “biker drug lord,” per the press notes. Subsequent flashbacks reveal that he trained her to fight, drilling her with mantras like “Survivors have scars. Losers have funerals.” In one sequence, she fends off the advances of a group of buyers attempting to rape her.

From the prologue, the movie flashes forward to Arlington, Va., where Ava prepares to marry Derek (Cam Gigandet), whom we’re told she met at a needle exchange.  The newlyweds begin to celebrate their nuptials at Derek’s family getaway in the Dominican Republic (filmed in Puerto Rico locations). One night, they’re encouraged by gregarious local Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova) to visit a dance club, where trouble ensues when local gangster Big Biz (Danny Trejo) attempts to cut in on the couple’s dance moves. The resulting brawl, with Carano weaponizing an ice bucket, seems to pique the interest of the area mob.

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Ensnaring the Americans in a literal web, Manny invites them to go ziplining. The outcome is foreordained —  one mile-long line is known as “the widowmaker” —  but Stockwell still ekes out a fair bit of suspense, intercutting Derek’s camera footage with the broader action. When Derek falls, an ambulance is summoned —  but after Ava races to the clinic, her husband is nowhere to be found.

All signs point to kidnapping, yet the Punta Cana police chief (Luis Guzman) seems to suspect that Ava was involved. Derek’s wealthy father (Treat Williams), convinced from the start that the bride only wanted his son for money, also thinks so. To prove her case, Ava goes full “Death Wish.” Not just a martial artist, Ava proves proficient in amateur surgery (“Oh, but you can live without your spleen, can’t you?”), for which Stockwell supplies at least one organ-cam closeup.

In “Haywire,” Steven Soderbergh suggested the best way to appreciate Carano’s talents was via a combination of long takes and quick, brutal action sequences. “In the Blood” isn’t on the same level of formal sophistication, though it has a couple of first-rate sequences, notably a handcuffed Ava’s escape from a supervised ferry bathroom visit. The jaw-drop factor that comes from seeing Carano’s moves is often spoiled because of too much cutting or, in the case of the dance club sequence, excess strobing. The climactic chase feels overextended, departing for too long from the star, whose lack of affect doesn’t dim her fearsome presence.

Tech credits are slick, perhaps overly so. An early montage of Ava and Derek’s honeymoon  —  replete with jet skiing, swimming, and semi-clothed nuzzling —  could, unlike the rest of the film, easily double as the work of a tourism board.

Reviewed online, New York, April 2, 2014. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 108 MIN.  

• Production: (U.K.-Puerto Rico) An Anchor Bay Films and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (in U.S.) release and presentation of a Movie Package Co. production in association with Mica Entertainment, the Way We Roll Prods., the Pimienta Film Co. Produced by Raymond Mansfield, Shaun Redick, Marcia Grasic, Cash Warren. Executive producers, Lee Portnoi, David R. Arnold, Nicola Horlick, Andrew Mann, Glenn M. Stewart, Stefan Sonnenfeld, Mark Lindsay, Luillo Ruiz, James Gibb, Rachel Green, Belly Torres, Glenn Murray, Dale Armin Johnson, Julie B. May, Mike Ilitch, Jr. Co-producers, Jackie Lee, Jennie Frisbie.
• Crew: Directed by John Stockwell. Screenplay, James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin. Camera (color), P.J. Lopez; editors, Doug Walker, Lucas Eskin; music, Paul Raslinger; music supervisor, Andy Ross; production designer, Monica Monserrate; art director, Luis López-Baquero; set decorator, Carmen Marie Colon Mejía; costume designer, Milagros Nunez; sound (DTS/SDDS/Dolby Digital), Margarita Aponte; supervising sound editor, Michael Ferdie; re-recording mixers, Chris Reynolds, Wade Chamberlain; visual effects supervisor, Jason Schugardt; visual effects, Method Studios; stunt coordinator, Ben Bray; line producer, Julie Hartley; assistant director, Franklin Vallette; casting, JC Cantu.
• With: Gina Carano, Cam Gigandet, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Luis Guzman, Treat Williams, Amaury Nolasco, Stephen Lang, Danny Trejo, Yvette Yates, Eloise Mumford, Hannah Cowley, Paloma Olympia Louvat. (English, Spanish dialogue)

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In The Blood Review

Gina Carano is the only selling point that  In the Blood , a predictable yet enjoyable action flick from  Into the Blue helmer John Stockwell, really needs. After all, a hero who’s charismatic, easy on the eyes and capable of kicking some serious ass is hard to come by. Carano fits the bill quite nicely, and she’s the sole reason that action aficionados will (and should) check out  In the Blood .

Starring as Ava, a newlywed with a rough past who goes on the hunt for her husband (Cam Giganet) after he disappears following a zip-lining accident on their Caribbean honeymoon, Carano gets her first real opportunity to prove herself as a leading lady (I’d argue that Soderbergh’s touch in Haywire made the film more about him than her). Luckily for In the Blood , there’s more to the actress than just her fists. Though the film’s script, from James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin, throws some ridiculous plot twists her way, Carano nimbly finds the wounded heart of her battle-scarred protagonist and plays the action-heavy part with surprising emotional gravitas. Even when everything else in the film is absurd to the nth degree, Carano impresses.

After a successful career as a mixed martial artist, Carano broke out into the mainstream with the lead role in  Haywire , then further solidified her status as an action hero with a supporting role in  Fast & Furious 6 . It’s clear to see that  In the Blood is a step down from those two films in terms of budget and ambition, but the flick does pack a punch while also giving Carano a chance to showcase her dramatic chops.

For a large amount of its runtime,  In the Blood  plays like a feminist riff on  Taken , with Ava quickly dispatching dozens of unsavory characters and drawing the attention of the island’s incompetent police (led by Luis Guzmán, slumming it) whilst searching for her husband. Carano brings a fiery intensity to the role, though the action is disappointingly unremarkable. There are few noteworthy fight or chase sequences, and none that will make you laugh out loud in appreciation or wonder at how a certain maneuver was accomplished. Still, Carano kicks ass, and her fighting style is almost hypnotic in its brusque, take-no-prisoners brutality.

The action takes a little while to get going, but once Ava’s on the move, evading cops and chasing down leads,  In the Blood  becomes a surprisingly taut, economical thriller. Stockwell’s hyperkinetic handheld camerawork is occasionally disorienting but mostly effective at emphasizing the urgency and desperation of Ava’s every move. Meanwhile, Paul Haslinger’s tense score only adds to the mounting suspense.

In the Blood goes completely off the rails in its final act, as a series of increasingly improbable twists rob the film of any believability, but the bullets and the punches kept flying with such gleeful abandon that I still found myself having a good time. With a movie like  In the Blood (I mean, that title alone), you have to be willing to suspend your disbelief and just accept certain things (like Ava’s superhuman eyesight, and her incredible ability to walk into the right shady club at exactly the right time… every time). As long as you’re not expecting a particularly coherent thriller, In the Blood has enough smackdowns and firefights to satisfy.

Stephen Lang has been featured considerably by the film’s publicity campaign, but he really has a non-role as Ava’s fugitive father, who appears in flashback to explain how Ava earned her very particular set of skills. The same goes for Danny Trejo, who only appears in two scenes and does little more than chew the scenery (but boy can he chew). Giganet is playing a totally useless character, but he basically fulfills his purpose, establishing passable chemistry with Carano and acting as suitable eye candy for all the ladies who’ll get reluctantly dragged into watching  In the Blood with their overly eager boyfriends.

Guzmán, portraying a real skeeze of a police captain, is forced to play straight throughout his performance, which must have been tough for the typically over-the-top actor. Unfortunately, above all else, he just doesn’t look like he’s having much fun with the underwritten role, especially whenever he’s called in for an exposition dump. The only actor playing on Carano’s level is Amaury Nolasco, who sinks his teeth into the role of a vicious, cancer-riddled gangster named Silvio. The thrilling (if overlong) final showdown between the two is unquestionably  In the Blood ‘s strongest scene.

Taken simply as an action vehicle for Carano, In the Blood does its job. Yes, the plot is holey, the supporting cast is largely ineffectual and I didn’t buy it for a second, but there’s something to be said for supremely undemanding action fare like this. Plus, any movie brave enough to let Carano both play dirty and actually act gets a pass in my book. The revelation that the actress can both out-fight and out-perform everyone else in the flick is just icing on the cake.

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In the Blood Reviews

It can't quite manage to escape feeling like the poor man's version of Haywire 2

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Aug 29, 2019

The fight scenes are a letdown as they do not convey the thrill of close-quarter combat.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 13, 2016

In the Blood does fulfill one rite of passage for Carano, who had yet to make her own terrible, B-level movie.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | Jun 6, 2016

Screenwriter Andy Bloom struggles to sustain the tensions between the holed-up thugs, with much of the talented supporting cast having too little to do.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 30, 2015

Fine actors (Alison Steadman, Phil Davis) nudge our boy forward, yet the rehabilitation and race-against-time narratives prove fundamentally at odds: we're left watching two films cancelling each other out.

Essentially a gender-swapped riff on the Taken films, the film is as by the numbers as they come.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/10 | Sep 8, 2014

Most of the dialogue consists of "Where is my husband?" And, for variety: "Tell me where my husband is!"

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 25, 2014

The closed-quarters combat crackles with bone-shattering believability. And that's really all that matters.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 25, 2014

What starts as a mystery involving shadowy gangsters on an unnamed tropical island turns into a sort of medical drama involving endless fights, torture, and gunfire.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 24, 2014

I'm convinced Stockwell just sits around his Top Gun mansion reading scripts until he finds one containing the magical combination of cerulean water and two piece swimsuits.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 11, 2014

Saddled with a weirdo, disturbing ending. Still, there's still a certain ramshackle appeal to this starchy, Taken-meets-Turistas revenge flick, which could just as easily be titled Woman on Fire.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Apr 7, 2014

"In the Blood" will appeal to fans of "Taken" -- a lone warrior with a set of skills who tears apart a foreign land to find a loved one. Justice is served, but at a very bloody price.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Apr 4, 2014

Whatever you do, don't ever, EVER go ziplining.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 4, 2014

"In the Blood" is a dull piece of nonsense that makes one feel bad for straight-to-DVD staples like Treat Williams, Danny Trejo, and Luis Guzman.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Apr 4, 2014

Carano, a former mixed-martial artist, won't be vying for an Oscar any time soon but she can more than hold her own as an action star. She deserves a bigger canvas on which to show off her skills.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5 | Apr 4, 2014

The jaw-drop factor that comes from seeing Carano's moves is often spoiled because of too much cutting or, in the case of the dance club sequence, excess strobing.

Full Review | Apr 4, 2014

Carano is an impressive woman, but she's no Meryl Streep; and even Streep couldn't make a movie this by-the-numbers look like anything more than it is: violence with interruptions.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Apr 4, 2014

In the Blood is generic B-movie fare, bloody and, alas, increasingly dumb.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 4, 2014

Go in knowing the film will deliver on butt-kicking Carano, but not much else and you'll be perfectly satisfied.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 3, 2014

There is an odd, even creepy, undercurrent in Ava's backstory that is both repellent and underdeveloped as an idea.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 3, 2014

IN THE BLOOD

Brief native nudity

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“The only thing that’s going to save the game in Africa is hunting.” A paradox? Maybe not, according to film maker George Butler, who believes that “professional hunters act as a deterrent to hunting and a healthy stimulus to local economies.” Convinced that big game hunting actually results in conservation, Butler set out to make the first feature film ever about hunting. IN THE BLOOD is not just an outing into the woods, but “a figurative and literal safari into the past in search of a future.”

The film retraces two safaris. The first is a year-long safari trip that Theodore Roosevelt made with his son, Kermit, in 1909 through eastern Africa. Roosevelt recorded the trip in a book, AFRICAN GAME TRAIL, and on film using the first movie camera ever in the region. The second is a 1986 hunt in which Roosevelt’s grandson, Ted, embarked with a small group of hunters and film crew to explore the relationship between hunting and conservation. There are arguments around the campfire about conservation, stalking sequences that give a vivid sense of what it is to hunt and dramatic moments when the hunter takes his prey.

There is also a final hunt where legendary Kenyan white hunter, Robin Hurt, takes Butler’s son, Tyssen, 13, to pursue the Cape buffalo. He tests his skills with the powerful Holland & Holland rifle that was used to shoot big game by President Roosevelt. The most valuable gun in the world (at $5 million), it is one of the leitmotifs of the film and ties together the 1909 and 1986 safaris.

The film’s title is inspired by Hurt: “If hunting is in your blood, it’s with you your whole life.” The title also refers to the tradition of hunting passed down from father to son, as well as to the different generations of Roosevelts portrayed in the film. Thus, those values embodied in the first trip are brought forward to the second.

This strongly opinionated documentary raises serious questions about the values of hunting in Africa and in our own country. Motivating intelligent people to stewardship, the film’s hope is to educate people about the benefits of hunting, and to “bring hunters and preservationists together within the conservationist movement.” Butler, in fact, speaks passionately of highly selective hunting. “We only go for old trophy males. Elephants,” he says, “are the best hunting there is, but because herds in Africa have been dangerously depleted by ivory poachers…. I haven’t let a client shoot one for two years now.”

It should be noted that the new environmentalism expressed in this film has found that those areas of the world with the most regulated, government controlled economies have also had the worst environmental records whether the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, or the authoritarian regimes of Africa and South America. For instance, elephants have been largely left out of private ownership and included under the public trust in most of Africa; therefore, with no one responsible except the central bureaucracy, elephants in these public park areas have been hunted almost to extinction. However, in those areas of Africa (Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, and parts of Zambia) where the elephant is owned, their owners protect them since higher prices for ivory have led the owners to breed, nurture and harvest the elephant as with any other owned livestock. Thus, people do better economically; while the elephant does better ecologically.

The film’s music is a mix of old and new, and represents a rich tapestry of African sounds. IN THE BLOOD is not just for hunters, but for all lovers of animals and natural resources. In fact, the more you care about animals and the environment, the more you’ll want to see IN THE BLOOD to gain a deeper understanding of the issues.

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“Gripping!” Joe Rogan

The #1 New York Times bestselling Terminal List series continues as James Reece embarks on a global journey of vengeance.

#1  New York Times  Best Seller

In the blood by jack carr, a novel of violent resolutions.

A woman boards a plane in the African country of Burkina Faso having just completed a targeted assassination for the state of Israel. Two minutes later, her plane is blown out of the sky.

Over 6,000 miles away, former Navy SEAL James Reece watches the names and pictures of the victims on cable news. One face triggers a distant memory of a Mossad operative attached to the CIA years earlier in Iraq—a woman with ties to the intelligence services of two nations…a woman Reece thought he would never see again.

Reece enlists friends new and old across the globe to track down her killer, unaware that he may be walking into a deadly trap.

Available in Hardcover, Audio, and E-book from retailers worldwide

“BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR!”

The real book spy, praise for in the blood.

“Hands down, In The Blood is the best book I’ve read this year. I’ve said from the beginning that covering Carr is what I’d imagine it would have been like to discover Vince Flynn at the beginning of his career. Now, though, Carr deserves to be mentioned alongside all-time greats like Flynn, Thor, Clancy, and Silva…rather than just be compared to them. I know it’s only May, but it’s hard to imagine anyone topping this book in 2022.” The Real Book Spy

“Fast-paced…gripping…Military action fans will get their money’s worth” Publishers Weekly

“In The Blood is definitely my favorite James Reece thriller yet. Jack Carr steps outside the comfort zone to propel his protagonist to a whole other ballgame in the modern Thrillerverse.” Best Thriller Books

“Call Jack Carr the mailman because he always delivers and this time he brings the heat with deadly games of deception, danger and death. In The Blood is a killer thriller that just won’t quit coming at you with non-stop action that will leave readers needing a cigarette upon completion.” Best Thriller Books

“I cannot say enough about how floored I was at the shocking finale. The series is at a pivotal point and I cannot wait to see what happens next.” Best Thriller Books

“If you haven’t jumped on board the James Reece bandwagon . . . you just aren’t paying attention. Quality plot, well-developed characters, and not too over-the-top.” MEN READING BOOKS

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For one it’s business. For the other it’s personal. For two of the deadliest killers on the planet, it’s time to hunt.

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• Movie Review

Movie Review – In The Blood (2014)

Bland, tension free exercise in brand management, In The Blood wastes much of its potential in inane plotting, silly 1-dimensional characters, and an incoherent action aesthetic that lacks punch. While I’m sure Gina Carano might be a fierce competitor in the ring, on film she comes off as hopelessly wooden, over-edited into the action, and lacking in presence. Skip it.

– Summary –

Director : John Stockwell Year Of Release : 2014 Principal Cast : Gina Carano, Cam Gigandet, Luis Guzman, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Stephen Lang, Danny Trejo, Amaury Nolasco, Treat Williams, Eloise Mumford, Paloma Louvat. Approx Running Time : Synopsis: When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible. What we think : Bland, tension free exercise in brand management, In The Blood wastes much of its potential in inane plotting, silly 1-dimensional characters, and an incoherent action aesthetic that lacks punch. While I’m sure Gina Carano might be a fierce competitor in the ring, on film she comes off as hopelessly wooden, over-edited into the action, and lacking in presence. Skip it.

**********************

It’s long been a sad state of affairs that our stable of cinematic heroes – specifically of the action variety – have, by a wide margin, tended to be dominated by men. Name me a dozen male action heroes from the last 20 years and you’ll have no trouble whatsoever. Try that with female stars, and you’ll struggle to list even a handful who have the pop-culture standing to be even worth remembering. It’s this factor which contributes somewhat to Stallone’s Expendables franchise being so testosterone-laden. While modern stars such as Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson appear in movies seemingly every other week, the lack of female action heroes on our screens is an imbalance that, frankly, needs to be addressed, and soon. Thankfully, though, Hollywood seems to be trying – former MMA star Gina Carano has attempted to make the transition to film, no doubt aided by her bruising, bashing fighting style and grim, determined-faced demeanor giving her a somewhat masculine femininity (is that even a thing?) to bridge the sexual gap between the Statham’s and the Stallone’s of the world, and the girls! In The Blood is a fairly transparent attempt to build Carano’s Hollywood “brand”, with her front-n-center for the entirety of the film as she smashes and crashes her way through the slums of Puerto Rico; does Carano make a solid action star we can enjoy, or is this film another Haywire , devoid of charisma, light on action, and lacking in quality?

Newlywed couple Ava (Gian Carano) and Derek Grant (Cam Gigandet) are honeymooning on an unnamed Caribbean Island, enjoying the sights and sounds of the locals and being escorted by friendly tour-guide Manny (Ismael Cruz Cordova). After escaping from a club brawl with a few minor bruises, thanks to Ava’s childhood training to be a bad-ass by her weirdly pessimistic father (Stephen Lang), the couple go on a ziplining adventure high above the tropical rainforest of the island. However, when Derek’s restraint snaps, sending him plummeting to the ground below, Ava watches helplessly as he is driven away by ambulance – only he never makes it to hospital, leaving Ava stranded on the island with no idea what has become of her husband. Her father-in-law, Robert (Treat Williams) seems to think she’s after Derek’s inheritance, while local police chief Garza (Luis Guzman) seems indifferent to Ava’s pleadings. However, when Ava tracks down her husband’s location, and discovers a link to local crime kingpin Silvio (Amaury Nolasco), all hell breaks loose.

Any canny director knows that you have to play to your stars strengths. In the case of Gina Carano, those strengths are the ability to look tough while beating the absolute snot out of a bunch of brutish, gun-toting bad guys. As displayed in Soderbergh’s Haywire , which was a despicably over-marketed piece of non-action rubbish, Carano looks right at home swinging her fists, legs, elbows and head in the direction of those she must fight. Her limited role in Fast & Furious 6 , where she played alongside Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel as a hard-hitting drug enforcement agent, showcased her natural physicality to inflict pain on her victims. Yet, in spite of her physical ability, Carano’s performance dramatically – even taking into account the B-grade nature of her projects thus far – leaves a lot to be desired.

In The Blood puts Carano right in front of the camera the entire time; her character is a loose clusterf@ck of half-baked ideas, generic action tropes and seedy violent-afterbirth scripting, the kind of cinematic shorthand audiences expect little of, and that critics often deride as low-fi film-making. Her character, Ava, is the female equivalent of the generic “former SAS operative” living the quiet life: brought up with a hard-ass father, played by blink-and-miss-it Stephen Lang, married into a wealthy family (who mistrust her motives, in a rather uncomfortable role for Treat Williams, looking for all the world like he’s only there to pay the rent) and who has… to borrow from a far superior film, a “particular set of skills” that make her highly dangerous. Yet, for all her skill in martial artistry, there’s a definite lack of ability in almost every other aspect of her performance. With one exception, Carano looks distinctly uncomfortable in front of the camera, like a rabbit in the headlights of a career move she is perhaps regretting – her one saving grace is her rather sweet ability to cry on cue, and although I felt the rest of the film had the passion of a tree-stump, at least she could cry over her missing husband. It’s just that whenever she opened her mouth to utter a line, it felt like some Amazon rainforest suddenly up and died to allow it.

No, this film wasn’t ever going to be an Oscar contender, nor was it even going to be simply a very good film; it’s an utterly generic, bland, by-the-numbers plot-device countdown that is precisely tension free to the point of boredom. With Carano lacking any screen presence, the film sputters madly through its somewhat ham-fisted “kidnapped tourist” plot until it turns into a run-and-gun shoot ’em up in the last act, the kind of Die Hard In A Village archetype that outlasts its own usefulness within about five minutes. It’s a film designed purely to showcase the skills of Carano, and even then that’s stretching it. She lacks the square-jawed determination and buried rage of Jason Statham, the raw hulking machismo of a Stallone, or the glint-in-the-eye simplicity of Chuck Norris… hell, perhaps if she had some kind of indistinguishable accent she might have made a good female Van Damme or Schwarzenegger, but she doesn’t, and the film suffers.

With the plot a bare-bones actioner that delivers scant thrills (a first act zipline sequence has shades of Cliffhanger about it, but lacks the same energy) the cast have to bear the brunt of this mess, and bear it they do. Carano aside, the film is almost salvaged by the winning performance of Ismael Cruz Cordova, as Manny, the “comedy relief” in a film devoid of much comedy at all. Whatever Treat Williams and Stephen Lang thought they were doing in this film is lost on me, their roles are so small, while Luis Guzman sleazes it up as a not-quite-honest police chief who stalls Ava’s quest to locate her husband. Danny Trejo uses his massive box-office clout to appear in two key moments of the film: one to portray himself as a selfish, misogynistic asshole, and another as the savior of all on the island, which is a character arc that makes no sense whatsoever. Carano’s leading man, however, is Cam Gigandet (who, from what I can see on the marketing for this film, can’t even make it to “name on poster” status these days!) as Derek, and although he’s missing from most of the film, actually does a solid job of counteracting Carano’s lack of talent with his own charming persona.

John Stockwell’s In The Blood is a witheringly obtuse affair that pretends to be something it patently isn’t . Led by the wooden Gina Carano, who is blessedly removed from having to talk for as long as possible, wherever possible, and with uninspired direction and a poorly developed script, this film just isn’t the career-maker Carano obviously hoped it might be. While I doubt she’ll ever be a screen icon in the same conversation as Norris, Stallone, Statham and company, it’s pleasing to see that at least Hollywood is trying to address the male/female ratio of stars in action films; it’s just a shame this film is so rubbish, because both Carano and us deserved better .

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Who wrote this.

Rodney Twelftree

If you’re reading this, you’ve now learned that Rodney loves movies and will continue to write about them until he falls over dead. And even then he’ll have some content scheduled post-mortem.

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‘Blood’ Ending Explained: Michelle Monaghan’s Horror Movie Is a Dark Way to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Where to stream:.

• michelle monaghan

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Spring is in the air, but there’s never a wrong time to watch a horror movie—like the 2022 horror movie Blood , which is now streaming on Hulu .

Directed by Brad Anderson and written by Will Honley, Blood is a movie about a mother who sacrifices nearly everything for her child, who is, quite literally, a monster. While the movie itself is not a revelation, it’s worth a watch purely for the lead performance from actor Michelle Monaghan. In addition to her role in the Mission Impossibl e movies, Monaghan has been on a Scream Queen kick recently, including the critically acclaimed Sundance horror flick Nanny , which released on Amazon Prime last December.

But in Blood , Monaghan gets to be the hero, not the villain. In fact, Monaghan’s character in Blood ought to get some kind of award for Mother of the Year. Like many horror movies, Blood keeps it vague when it comes to why, exactly, all of these horrible things are happening. If you got confused, don’t worry—Decider is here to help. Read on for the Blood movie plot summary and the Blood ending explained.

Blood movie plot summary:

Jess (Michelle Monaghan) is a recovering drug addict and nurse attempting to maintain custody of her two kids through a messy divorce. Her ex-husband Patrick (Skeet Ulrich) gets the house, so Jess moves her two kids into her aunt’s old house. While outside exploring, the two children—Tyler (Skylar Morgan Jones) and her younger brother Owen (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong)—stumble upon a dried-up lake, containing a creepy dead tree and the skeleton of a large animal. The family dog, Pippin, bounds into the lake and gets stuck in the mud. The kids manage to free the dog, but their troubles are only beginning.

After the lake incident, Pippin the dog is increasingly jumpy and eventually runs away. Owen is distraught. In the middle of the night, Pippin returns… but he’s completely feral. Pippin attacks Owen, biting his neck. Jess manages to kill the dog and rushes her son to the hospital. Owen’s vitals are not looking good. He’s lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion. Suddenly he wakes up and drinks the bag of blood next to his bed like a vampire. Et voila! All better. After witnessing Owen get better after drinking blood twice, Jess realizes this is the only treatment that can help her son.

Jess takes Owen home and steals blood from the hospital to feed him. When the hospital realizes blood is going missing and increases security, Jess begins taking blood from rabbits. When that doesn’t seem to work as well for Owen, she starts taking blood from herself. But she can’t sustain the blood loss and is getting light-headed at inopportune times. Jess hatches a plan to kidnap an old lady at the hospital who previously asked Jess about assisted suicide options. This old lady has cancer, only has a year to live, and doesn’t have any family or friends. Jess offers the woman, Helen, a ride home. Helen tells Jess she’s found the will to live after all. Oops! Jess goes ahead and drugs and kidnaps Helen anyhow. She keeps her alive, but regularly drains Helen for fresh blood.

Tyler discovers Helen tied up in the basement, and Jess confesses everything. Tyler agrees to keep the secret and help keep her brother alive. Unfortunately, Owen is getting worse, and requiring more and more blood. Helen escapes the basement, and impales herself on the wire fence. Owen drinks her dry, and is pretty much a full vampire now. Social services comes to take the kids away from Jess, because Owen hasn’t been to school in weeks. While at their father’s house, Owen very nearly kills his half-baby sister, seeking more blood. Tyler, remembering the weird tree at the lake, decides to take Owen to the tree and burn it down. She believes this will cure him. Why? Don’t worry about it!

Blood 2022 movie ending explained:

When her ex-husband accuses Jess of hiding the kids at her house, Jess remembers that, just before they were taken away, Tyler was trying to tell her mom about the tree at the lake. She realizes that’s where her children have gone. Jess shows up at the lake just in time: Owen, in full vampire mode, was just about to kill his sister and drink her blood. Mom manages to save Tyler, and subdue Owen. Tyler screams that Owen is no longer himself. Jess takes those words to heart, after a struggle, she kills Owen by suffocating him in the mud under the creepy tree.

Jess and Tyler manage to make Owen’s death look like an accident, but Jess still loses custody of Tyler. At the end of the film, Tyler hugs her mother and assures her that she did the right thing by killing Owen. In the very last scene of the movie, Jess burns that creepy dead tree.

What does it mean, what does it all mean? Honestly? Nothing! Blood doesn’t bother explaining why that mud and dead tree turned Pippin, and then Owen into a vampire, nor does it explain why Tyler thought burning it was the solution, beyond the fact that it appeared to have been burned before. All we know is that some other vampire creature was presumably drowned in the mud, hence, the animal skeleton. If you’re looking for a metaphor, you could say that Owen was literally sucking his mother dry, mirroring the way mothers sacrifice everything for their children.

My advice? Don’t overthink it. It’s a silly horror movie on Hulu. It’s more about vibes than it is about making sense.

• Blood (2023)
• Ending Explained

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Oil in the Blood Movie Review

A New Documentary Takes Viewers Into The Fascinating World Of The Modern Custom Motorcycle Scene and Its’ Avant-Garde Builders 

Words by Kali Kotoski and Joy Burgess

Photos supplied by Gareth Maxwell Roberts

A new film by Londoner Gareth Maxwell Roberts explores the personalities driving the current revival in the custom motorcycle scene. It is a scene without rules or labels and stays on the fringes of the mainstream. In some ways less hedonistic than building trends of old, it is primarily utilitarian at its core—and manufacturers have taken notice. Crisscrossing the globe for over three years, Roberts interviewed more than 300 builders in order to portray the creativity that goes into some of the hottest modern builds. What started as a small niche of bespoke builders has evolved into a global phenomenon, which will certainly keep the blood flowing for years to come. 

Reviewed by Kali Kotoski 

OK, Boomers. If you have had your head stuck in the sand for the last decade, you have likely been missing one of the most exciting things to happen in the custom motorcycle scene. Mainly, the revival, the revolution of the custom art form, spurred by a growing interest in flat track racing, the societal fallout of the Great Recession and the raw individualism of us hipster snowflakes that never had 401(k)s or IRAs to gut-wrenchingly watch $2.4 trillion in collective savings vanish. And, you would have likely missed the news that Playboy is now run by a large majority of female editorial staff in their twenties. 

Motorcycling has always been about rebelling because motorcycles make little sense. The common belief is that the spirit of riding is dying, sales are hurting, and the “youth” have little interest in the sport and that they would rather receive a guaranteed universal basic income to spend on video games and craft beer. 

But, the documentary film Oil in the Blood is here to tell you not all is lost and the free-wheeling motorcycle spirit has merely been passed down to us young ‘uns. And we have taken that spirit, retooled it and made it our own … and then post it on Instagram and social media, anticipating an online thrashing. 

Gareth Maxwell Roberts’ lengthy treatise on the custom revival, available on Amazon, captures the purity of individualism and innovation despite financial constraints. And, likely, none of those individuals care which bathroom you use. All they care about is two wheels. 

With the movie’s vivid riding scenes, from the Sahara on a Harley to England’s countryside on a sleek Ducati to ice racing somewhere in the inhospitable Midwest, Roberts takes you on a journey to some of the coolest bespoke shows across the world. He interviews modern-day luminaries like Ian Barry of Falcon, Max Hazan, Craig Rodsmith, Walt Siegl, Shinya Kimura, Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts, Ola Stenegärd of Indian and Kurt Walter of Icon Motosports. 

The message conveyed is that despite rabid consumerism, technological advancement (yes, iPhones are killing our eyes and ADHD is the clinical norm) and the perverse ideal of instant gratification, thousands of young bikers still love the smell of oil, the heat of the welding torch and the smooth feel of a well-sanded fuel tank. The movie is 100 percent motorcycle porn with a tasteful art house feel. 

But the movie is really about the people building these amazing bikes and their individual beliefs, with the common thread of revolting against, but not overthrowing, the MANufacturer. It shows a custom scene that has been fully democratized without traditional constraints or expectations. It is also about the simple pleasures of Hooligan and drag racing; a nexus between function and form. The movie is about those builders that build to ride, not build something that will collect dust between shows. Spend $1,000 or $100,000, if it rides you are part of the club.

Remember, we were all cool once, crafting our identities by rebuilding a carburetor, throwing on some sick custom parts, adding cool paint and saying, “yep, that bike is mine .” Oil in the Blood shows that spirit is alive and well, and, god-willing, will endure until the internal combustion engine is retired. Then, that same spirit will trick out an electric motorcycle. 

So, if you want to check out a flick that shows an industry booming with creativity and one that gives hope among the continued doom and gloom of manufacturers’ financial earnings, I suggest you check it out. Sure, in typical hipster fashion if too many of you watch it, the scene will no longer be cool. But there is always the next cool thing yet to be discovered.

Reviewed by Joy Burgess

Motorcycles grabbed my heart and changed my life a few years ago (another story for another time), and in the past year I stumbled right into the middle of the custom scene. And I’m hooked. Custom shows like The Golden Bolt started a spark. Talking to custom builders like Brian Buttera (The Golden Bolt winner), Caleb Denton (Born Free invited builder), and customs guru Kevin Dunworth fed the flames. And then, watching the film Oil in the Blood set me ablaze. 

Custom motorcycles get me excited. But it’s not just about the bikes, as awesome as they are. It’s the people involved in the custom scene that captivate me. These are the people who have fallen in love with motorcycles, who have a vision for what they can make out of them, and who, when they couldn’t find what they wanted, built their own. They’re the creatives in the motorcycle industry – the very heart and soul that’s driving the industry right now.

And that’s what the documentary Oil in the Blood is all about – the people involved in custom culture. From the moment I saw the first trailer, I knew I had to watch it. When it finally made its way to Amazon in the U.S., I sat aside my evening to watch it. And while the run time of over two hours might look daunting, it was worth every minute. The last time I got goosebumps watching a motorcycle film was the first time I watched On Any Sunday , but within the first few minutes of watching Oil in the Blood , I had goosebumps. 

I immediately loved that the film didn’t focus on just the UK or the United States, but it truly followed custom culture around the world, including the thriving chopper scene that exists in Japan. It’s easy for us to get caught up in what’s happening in the American V-Twin market, but the globalization of the custom scene – fueled largely by social media sites like Instagram and YouTube – fascinates me. As I’ve talked to custom builders here and there for Thunder Press , I’ve quickly become aware of this unique network that exists among these builders, and I saw it displayed prominently in this movie. 

One thing the movie really drove home for me is that custom culture makes motorcycles a lot less about the money, something that grabs my attention and the attention of other young people, I believe. As Andrew Almond of Bolt London noted in the movie, “It’s less about money and budget and what you can afford than what you can do. People spend their time doing stuff, learning stuff, actually living motorcycling.” 

The film also digs into how the motorcycle world is changing because of the custom scene. Custom bikes bring people together like never before. “You’ll see your Fortune 500 CEO sitting right next to a Hell’s Angel guy, and both of them are appreciating the same thing. You’ll never see them in the same context other than that,” said Tim Harney of Tim Harney Motorcycles. 

And I think that’s what struck me the most about the film. The breaking down of barriers within the motorcycle industry. Because at the end of the day, we’re all just people who love motorcycles. Whether we prefer flat track bikes, café racers, or choppers (or something else entirely), we’ve all got a little oil in the blood. So, if you love motorcycles, give Oil in the Blood a watch. And I hope you get goosebumps.

Behind-the-Scenes with Oil in the Blood Creator Gareth Maxwell Roberts

Tell us a little bit about your background in the motorcycle and film industries, and why you’re so passionate about motorcycles.

I’ve been riding since I was an early teen, and I’ve been a producer and director here in the UK for 30-odd years. Started in music videos and TV commercials and then moved into independent feature films. But I always kept these things very separate. Bikes were my antidote to work. They’ve always been a way to escape from all that shit at work. 

What made you decide to make this movie, and when did you start planning the film? 

When this whole custom culture took off, I was a man in my early 40s suddenly being thrown back into the whole culture of motorcycling again. I found it really curious. A little strange, but great. I felt like we were living through the best of times, a revolution, a renaissance, and I felt it needed to be documented in some way. 

I thought someone needed to make a film that gave an overview of what this culture is as a whole. That’s the genesis of it really. I just decided, fuck, I want to get this done. I pitched it to the company I was working for at the time, and my boss said yes. So, we got started in the summer of 2015.  

How much effort did this documentary take to complete? 

Starting in 2015, it took six months to do the planning, work it all out, and get our first chunk of financing in place. We started shooting in January 2016, and we shot for about two and a half years, editing as we went along. Originally, we planned to do it all in a year, but it took twice as long. But, because it took longer, it helped me and my editor really get to the bottom of what’s important and enduring about the culture. And that, I think, made the film stronger. 

How did you select the bikes, builders, and other experts you featured in the documentary? 

It started with a short list of people I knew, and people I thought were significant players for different reasons – history, contemporary, and design reasons. But it quickly escalated and we ended up speaking to more than 300 people. I didn’t get to speak to everyone I wanted to, but at some point we had to draw the line. 

Who do you think the main influencers are in custom culture today? 

One thing I found refreshing is that I think the age of influencers is over. When this whole kind of contemporary custom culture resurged about ten years ago, it didn’t have a set of rules or a prevailing aesthetic. People were still finding their way. People who had never been involved in custom culture looked to influencers to guide them. But in the past three or four years, we’ve reached a kind of maturity. People have their own ideas and opinions, they’ve become knowledgeable enough to make their own decisions, and I think that’s great. 

What social or economic factors do you feel led to this renaissance? 

Three things collided to kind of kickstart this renaissance. First, the financial crisis of 2008. People lost their jobs. They couldn’t get credit to buy new bikes. Friends of mine who’d been riding for years had to sell their new, expensive bikes because they needed the money. Second, because of all that, people started to pick up cheap bikes and work on them. They had the option to do an expensive, expansive restoration, or just do a little bit to make the bike look cooler. Third, was the proliferation of broadband. People suddenly could share high-quality photographs on the internet and show videos. The blog sites really took off, so people could work on a cool bike and then post about it. Suddenly, the amount of references out there for modifying and customizing bikes exploded.  

What was the biggest thing you learned while making Oil in the Blood? 

The biggest thing I learned was that there are a set of underlying values that drive this scene that is quite timeless and enduring. I thought the culture was more age- and day-specific or transient. But the more I spoke to people across the world from all different backgrounds and angles, they all had this universal set of values, and I was really heartened by this. There’s the worry that this thing might run out of steam or run its course, but at the center of all this is a coherent set of values that will always be there. People will always be working on, modifying, and changing bikes. It’s encouraging in a day where our lives have become increasingly consumerist and we treat everything an appliance. We buy new appliances, wear them out, throw them away and get a new one. This culture bucks that trend. A bunch of 20- and 25-year olds are finding motorcycling cool again, and that means that motorcycling as a culture has a new generation that’s engaging with it. That should be celebrated. 

Where do you envision the custom motorcycle scene going in the future? 

In the first part of this decade, you saw this culture taking hold, and it exploded. I think it’s reached a fork in the road now. On the one side you have the retro heritage lifestyle culture being fed now by manufacturers like Harley, Scrambler Ducati and Triumph. Essentially taking stock bikes and adding bolt-on modifications, but they’re not really custom bikes – they’re the easy solution. 

The other fork is people who are genuinely interested in custom bikes. It’s become more of the sophisticated folks who have levels of engineering, fabricating, and painting skills, as well as ambition. It’s almost become professionalized in that sense. 

Some people have mentioned the movie is quite long. What’s your response to that? 

I had a few people say the film was too long, and I said, “Yeah, it is long.” We got it down to this length and we really couldn’t have got what was in the film any tighter. We would have had to pull out a whole subject or event, and we thought if we took any out, the film would be incomplete. And if it’s a bit long, people can pause it for an hour, go have a beer, sit down, and then watch the rest of it. 

What kind of feedback have you already encountered on Oil in the Blood? 

When you release a film, you brace yourself for that. But I’ve been surprised by the lack of negative responses. Overwhelmingly, the response has been very positive, and to me, that’s mission accomplished. The most encouraging thing I’m hearing is that people feel that this is a film about us. Probably the biggest compliment for me was when Miguel Angel Galluzzi, the man who designed the Ducati Monster, came up to me after the screening and said, “This is the new On Any Sunday .”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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By Ben Kenigsberg

In “Blood for Dust,” Cliff (Scoot McNairy), a salesman, hawks defibrillators across the upper western states. The devices are a tough sell, he admits. Yet this sluggish, self-serious job-gone-wrong movie could itself stand to be jolted to life.

It emerges that, while working for a previous employer, Cliff participated in an elaborate theft scheme that ended with the accounting man’s suicide. That gory mess, seen in a prologue set in 1992, provides the first image, in the sort of sudden brutality that is meant to shock but instead comes across as posturing.

Flash forward 17 months, to when the bulk of the action takes place. Cliff has debts, a tarnished reputation and a wife (Nora Zehetner) with whom he has had the experience of caring for a cancer-stricken child. (Evidently opening with a suicide wasn’t grim enough.) Ricky (Kit Harington), a former colleague in the scandal, approaches Cliff with an offer. “I could use a man don’t mind breaking the rules,” he drawls in an accent far removed from the Montana setting.

Cliff doesn’t trust that pitch — and the barely recognizable Harington shouldn’t have trusted in that horseshoe mustache — but desperation is desperation. So Cliff joins a drug-running operation, with predictably violent consequences.

Directed by Rod Blackhurst, “Blood for Dust” is a throwback, in the sense of being exceedingly familiar. An early shot of a snow-covered parking lot inevitably evokes “Fargo,” but “Blood for Dust” doesn’t have a witty line or a glimmer of humor. The climactic shootout is so dimly lit that it’s difficult to discern who is firing at whom. It’s easy enough to guess.

Blood for Dust Rated R. Gun violence and a topless bar. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on most major platforms .

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Blood for Dust Review: An Action-Packed Crime Thriller

Blood for Dust plunges into the grim underbelly of illegal arms dealing, setting its scene amidst the tension and volatility that defines the lives of those ensnared in such a world. Directed by Rod Blackhurst and penned by David Ebeltoft , the film crafts a narrative brimming with suspense, violence, and fleeting moments of camaraderie, stitched together in a gritty fabric characteristic of action crime thrillers. With a notable ensemble cast led by Scoot McNairy , Kit Harington , and Josh Lucas , it teases the potential for an explosive cinematic experience. However, it somewhat falters, hovering in the gray zone where its aspirations and actual deliverance diverge.

At the heart of Blood for Dust is the ill-fated partnership between Cliff (McNairy) and Ricky (Harington), with McNairy offering a compelling portrayal of a desperate everyman ensnared in an escalating crisis. His descent from a struggling traveling salesman to a beleaguered criminal is palpable, drawing empathy from the audience with his beleaguered resilience. In contrast, Harington’s Ricky is a whirlwind of charisma and unpredictability, embodying the recklessness and flair of someone who’s thrived in the perilous balance of gun-running. Josh Lucas’s cartel boss, John, completes this trio with a chilling performance that exudes menace and control. This is a stark contrast to the chaos Ricky represents.

However, where Blood for Dust promises a nuanced dive into its character’s psyches, it somewhat stumbles. Ricky’s motivations and the transformation of Cliff are often overshadowed by the film’s relentless pacing. The script also occasionally leans more towards spectacle than substance.

The action sequences themselves, while undeniably thrilling and well-orchestrated, occasionally veer into the realm of excess. This sacrifices the film’s potential for a more grounded and haunting examination of its themes. The directors’ penchant for style is evident; there’s a certain aesthetic pleasure in the way violence is choreographed and executed. The stylistic prowess overshadows the narrative’s need for quieter moments.

The film’s cinematography captures the tri-state area’s diverse landscapes in a hauntingly beautiful manner. The serene vistas contrast with Cliff and Ricky’s chaos, amplifying their tragedy.

Supporting performances, notably from Nora Zehetner and Ethan Suplee , provide layers to a story that, at its core, revolves around broken individuals striving for redemption or ruination. Zehetner’s Amy offers a glimpse into the personal stakes, grounding the larger-than-life chaos in the painfully human. Similarly, Suplee’s Slim delivers a memorably gritty performance, adding a necessary dose of humanity to the narrative.

Despite its strengths, Blood for Dust doesn’t entirely escape the pitfalls of genre conventions. At times, it slips into predictable plot turns and character arcs. The struggle for originality is palpable, but action thriller clichés catch it. The film almost says something profound but holds back, prioritizing spectacle over depth.

The film’s attempt to critique the very cycle of violence it depicts can feel undercut by its own glorification of these elements. The ending, in particular, might leave audiences divided. While aiming for a cathartic climax, it might instead prompt reflection on whether the journey justified its conclusion.

Blood for Dust delivers the adrenaline and visual flair expected of the genre. Strong performances from its lead actors bolster it. Yet, it ultimately feels like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the emotional and psychological landscapes of its characters. As it stands, it’s a commendable effort that captivates and entertains but stops short of leaving a lasting imprint. Whether Whether Blood for Dust is remembered as thrilling or a missed chance is to be seen. It achieves moments of brilliance but also falls prey to the shadows of its own ambition.

• Acting - 6.5/10 6.5/10
• Cinematography/Visual Effects - 7/10 7/10
• Plot/Screenplay - 6.5/10 6.5/10
• Setting/Theme - 6/10 6/10
• Watchability - 7/10 7/10
• Rewatchability - 5.5/10 5.5/10

User Review

About Caillou Pettis

Caillou Pettis is a professional film critic and journalist as well as the author of While You Sleep, The Inspiring World of Horror: The Movies That Influenced Generations, and co-author of Out of Time: True Paranormal Encounters. He has been writing in the entertainment industry for over seven and a half years professionally. Throughout the years, he has written articles for publications including Gold Derby, Exclaim!, CBR, Awards Radar, Awards Watch, Flickering Myth, BRWC, Starburst Magazine, Punch Drunk Critics, Mediaversity Reviews, Vinyl Chapters, Northern Transmissions, and Beats Per Minute.

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Movie Review: A heist movie that gleefully collides with a monster movie in ‘Abigail’

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Alisha Weir in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows William Catlett, Melissa Barrera, Kevin Durand and Kathryn Newton in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Melissa Barrera and Alisha Weir in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Alisha Weir and Kathryn Newton in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera and William Catlett in a scene from the film “Abigail.” (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

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If you always thought your garden-variety heist movies could do with a bit more blood-sucking vampire, have we got a flick for you.

“Abigail,” featuring a 12-year-old tutu-wearing member of the undead, is way better than it should be, a gleeful genre-smashing romp through puddles of gore.

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella — part of Radio Silence Productions — have cracked the modern horror code with such hits as “Ready or Not,” “Scream” and “Scream VI.” They do not disappoint with “Abigail,” even perhaps opening a new, bloody revenue stream. (And wait for the phone call scene, a nod to “Scream.”)

“Abigail” starts with an odd assortment of mercenaries — played by “Scream” veteran Melissa Barrera, “Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, William Catlett and the late Angus Cloud .

The six — representing the muscle, sniper, computer expert, getaway driver, medic etc — are hired to kidnap a rich preteen (nicknamed “Tiny Dancer”) and hold her for ransom. The rules are: No names. No backstory. No grabass, which is a weird request, if we’re being honest. All this group needs to do is detain the target for 24 hours until rich dad pays $50 million in ransom.

Why are six professional underworld characters needed to snatch and detain a sweet preteen, still wearing her tutu? That’s easy: Not all of them are going to survive to claim their share of $7 million. That’s because Abigail (Alisha Weir, awesome, stay away from me, no seriously) is really into, well, neckwork.

“I’m sorry about what’s going to happen to you,” Abigail sweetly tells the kidnappers. We have some idea — and it’s going to be great. Suddenly, the rambling estate they’re holding her becomes a prison. The tables are turned.

The script written by Stephen Shields (“The Hole in the Ground”) and regular Radio Silence collaborator Guy Busick (“Ready or Not” and the “Scream” movies) — gleefully mines humor in the horror. Laughing a moment after a body fully explodes is normal here.

“This whole thing is a trip,” says one of the gang. Believe them. “Something doesn’t add up,” says another. Believe that guy, too.

Garlic, sunlight, spears and crucifixes are employed to try to stop Abigail, who has hijacked the heist movie and turned it into a run-for-your-life thriller. She’s a very smart 12-year-old who turns hardened mercenaries against each other.

Barrera, who had been so central to the life of the “Scream” franchise, shows why she’s so good at horror — funny, sarcastic, vulnerable, athletic, soulful and very convincing with a stake in her hand.

Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera and William Catlett. (Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures via AP)

Stevens, who famously left the aristocratic “Downton Abbey” for better roles, may wonder what he’s doing here now, bathed in blood fighting a preteen vampire, but does an admirable job, definitely in on the camp.

But it’s Weir in the titular role who carries it, doing pirouettes and leaps as she chases the bad-guys-now-good guys to the theme of “Swan Lake” with blood dripping down her throat, rotten teeth and feathers in her hair. “I like to play with my food,” she says.

Run faster!

“Abigail,” a Universal Pictures release that hits theaters Friday, is rated R for “strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.” Running time: 110 minutes. Three stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Online: https://www.abigailmovie.com

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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This Is CineMMA, ‘Blood and Bone’: Could Michael Jai White be a UFC champion?

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Michael Jai White has the skills, but does he have the grit to survive the mean streets of Blood and Bone ?

On this episode of This is CineMMA , the MMA Fighting movie review crew break out of the clink to follow the adventures of Bone (White), a man on a mission who batters and bruises his way through L.A.’s underground fight scene while crossing paths with real-life combat sports stars Kimbo Slice , Gina Carano , and Bob Sapp . Featuring plenty of bloody battle —and some very, very NSFW language — this one ain’t for the faint of heart.

Alexander K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and E. Casey Leydon channel their inner “Just Bleed Guy” as they marvel at White’s dazzling martial arts skills, pick out some of the nastiest looking moves in the movie, and try to make heads or tails of some truly befuddling dialogue choices.

How would Bone fare in the UFC? Is Eamonn Walker a better villain than Conor McGregor ? And is it really possible to jump in the air and kick four people at once?

Dig into Blood and Bone with us for the answers to these questions and more.

New episodes of the This is CineMMA show come out weekly and are available to watch on YouTube , and in podcast form on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. This week’s episode can be heard below.

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

In the Blood

Four students buy an apartment together in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, and move in together. We follow their 20s, their ups and downs and the loneliness they discover after they split. Four students buy an apartment together in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, and move in together. We follow their 20s, their ups and downs and the loneliness they discover after they split. Four students buy an apartment together in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, and move in together. We follow their 20s, their ups and downs and the loneliness they discover after they split.

• Rasmus Heisterberg
• Kristoffer Bech
• Susana Hermansen Valenzuela
• Nana Kirstine Bruhn-Rasmussen
• 3 User reviews
• 10 Critic reviews
• 3 wins & 13 nominations

• Pige på diskotek
• (as Susana Valenzuela)

• (as Steen Henriksen)

• (as Victoria Carmen Sonne)
• Lægefagligt hold, leveroperation
• Emilies ven
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Premiered at Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2016.
• Soundtracks Veridis Quo Written by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo Performed by Daft Punk

User reviews 3

• May 2, 2021
• How long is In the Blood? Powered by Alexa
• September 15, 2016 (Denmark)
• Article, Danish Film Institute
• La mejor generación
• Copenhagen, Denmark (main location)
• Profile Pictures
• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Danmarks Radio (DR)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour 54 minutes

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Blood For Dust Review: Kit Harington's Standout Performance Is Overshadowed By A Forgettable Plot

• Blood for Dust seemingly tries to mimic Fargo but lacks its depth and entertainment value.
• The film's story is forgettable, and the ending can be predicted early on.
• The cast, including Kit Harington, is Blood for Dust 's strongest aspect.

Blood for Dust is meant to evoke Fargo vibes, but it fails to live up to the 1996 Academy Award-winning movie and will likely be forgotten by most. The action crime thriller, directed by Rod Blackhurst, depicts a struggling traveling salesman haunted by a crime from his past who decides to get his hands even dirtier once he becomes desperate for money. However, the film, which premiered at 2023's Tribeca Film Festival (and is far from one of the best action movies in 2023 ), falls short of making the audience care about the protagonist (or any of the characters).

Blood for Dust is an action-crime thriller from director Rod Blackhurst, and follows a traveling salesman named Cliff. Cliff is given the chance to escape his unfortunate circumstances through a job offer by his old friend. Though hesitant, Cliff accepts, only to discover he's been thrust into a dangerous gun and drug-running ring by a ruthless cartel leader.

• Kit Harington and the cast are fantastic, giving standout performances
• There are too many shootouts, which overtake the story
• The film's story lacks depth
• The characters' motives are forgettable

Despite its lack of meaningful and surprising character development, one of the few good attributes that Blood for Dust has going for it is its impressive cast, which includes a handful of big names, including Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, who plays Ricky alongside Scoot McNairy as Cliff, and Josh Lucas as John among others. Unfortunately, the actors and actresses weren't given much to work with as the action crime thriller's story lacks depth, surprises, and intrigue.

Blood For Dust Is Intense & Dark, But Easily Forgettable

The action crime thriller is only temporarily thrilling.

Blood for Dust begins on a shocking note that seemingly sets the tone for the movie, but the opening scene promises that the story will be much more intriguing than it turns out to be. For all intents and purposes, the action crime thriller can be summarized in one sentence — a boring salesman is terrible at his job, so he resorts to crime, which he is surprisingly (or not so surprisingly for the narrative's sake) good at. Despite its consistently dark, brutal, and intense tone, it's easy to forget exactly what happens in Blood for Dust and the characters' motives.

The story in Blood for Dust gets repetitive and boring, tempting one to play on their phone for 10 minutes until the scene is over.

Blood for Dust tries to incorporate the best parts of Fargo and Breaking Bad , but the film fails to understand what made both so memorable and interesting. In this case, imitation isn't the sincerest form of flattery. The thrills are short-lived — aside from the opening scene and a middle sequence that completely flips the script, one of the movie's few highlights — so the plot is more boring than exciting. Additionally, Blood for Dust 's ending is predictable as its story has been told numerous times in other movies and shows, many of which have executed it better.

Blood For Dust's Action Scenes Are Too Frequent & Drawn Out

The movie has more shootout scenes than necessary.

While Blood for Dust is no John Wick (and it isn't meant to be), the movie's action scenes are flawed. As mentioned above, the action crime thriller includes one scene in the middle that is intense, shocking, and knows when to end. Unfortunately, it's the only one, as the other action sequences are just drawn-out shootouts that make up more than half of the film. At points like these, Blood for Dust gets repetitive and boring, tempting one to play on their phone for 10 minutes until the scene is over.

Blood for Dust

Director Rod Blackhurst

Release Date April 19, 2024

Studio(s) Highland Film Group

Writers David Ebeltoft

Cast Amber Rose Mason, Scoot McNairy, Nora Zehetner, Stephen Dorff, Kit Harington, Josh Lucas, Ethan Suplee

Runtime 98 Minutes

Genres Thriller, Action

Blood For Dust's Strongest Attribute Is Its Cast

Kit harington gives the film's best performance.

Of course, Blood for Dust features some positives, the most significant being its talented cast. Sadly, the film is a boy's club ; the story neglects its women characters to focus on the men. Nevertheless, all three of the aforementioned actors are veteran performers who know how to make the best out of any script. But since Lucas' character has minimal screen time in the action crime thriller, McNairy and Harington are the standouts, with the latter giving the most memorable performance.

Harington's character in Blood for Dust is undoubtedly the most intriguing, and he may surprise audiences the most. Ricky plays a substantial role in the movie's biggest shocker, and Harington portrays the rugged, greedy, and reckless character perfectly. Even though the story fails to give Ricky much background and depth, Harington strings together a noteworthy performance that is ultimately one of the best parts of Blood for Dust .

Blood for Dust releases in select US theaters on April 19.

‘Abigail’ Is Scary, Gory, and a Fresh-Blood Transfusion of Vampire-Ballerina Fun

• By David Fear

Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before: Some criminals abduct a rich guy’s child and demand a hefty sum to give the youngster back. The “victim” then proceeds to make life hell for the kidnappers. It’s more or less the plot of The Ransom of Red Chief, arguably O. Henry’s best-known work. And like a lot of people who’ve read this enduring staple of school-reading curricula over the decades, you probably got to the final paragraph (“And as dark as it was, and as fat as Bill was, and as good a runner as I am, he was a good mile and a half out of Summit before I could catch up with him”), slowly closed the book, and thought to yourself: This story needed way, way more vampires.

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After the ragtag recruits for this specific snatch-and-grab have the 12-year-old Abigail (Alisha Weir) in their possession, they rendezvous with their primary contact, Lambert ( Giancarlo Esposito ). Once the child’s dad delivers the $50 million ransom, they all go home rich. Meanwhile, the gang just needs to lay low for 24 hours in the conspicuously spooky mansion he’s chosen for their safe house. They’ve all been given code names, based on the Rat Pack: Frank ( Dan Stevens ) is an ex-cop and de facto leader of the operation. Dean ( Angus Cloud ) is the wheelman. Sammy ( Kathyrn Newton ) is the resident hacker/tech geek. Peter (Kevin Durand) is the muscle. Rickles (Will Catlett), who’s handy with a sniper rifle, acts as the lookout.

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It’s a gas, watching this ensemble bouncing off each other when the shit goes down and navigating the obstacle course that Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have set for them in the film’s chaotic, mondo bloody back half. (We weren’t joking about that whole exploding body thing.) Stevens has previously shown a knack for playing complicated douchebags, and that talent becomes refined here. Weir, who’s a bit of a find in terms of playing a centuries-old fiend in the body of a tween, puts a sickly, sharp spin on a lot of her juicier lines. Cloud (R.I.P.) and Durand finds different ways of showcasing the dim-wittery of their characters, Newton once again reminds you that she’s a first-rate pickpocket when it comes to stealing scenes, and Barrera steps into the role as steely scream queen extraordinaire in a way that makes you hope she really does have a long career in front of her instead of an aborted one already behind her.

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Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver review – Zack Snyder’s bombastically fun sequel

The divisive director’s sci-fi follow-up is both original and derivative and will be unlikely to convert anyone, but there’s something charming about its sincerity

I s there a contemporary Hollywood film-maker who better epitomizes the modern commerce-v-art quagmire than Zack Snyder ? Snyder has an instantly recognizable style and a deathless dedication to his singular vision; he also, at the behest of various studios, volunteers to think almost entirely in terms of franchises, comic books and self-conscious myth-making – whether he’s trying to interrogate those myths or just build them up so he can smash them down with maximum mayhem.

Rebel Moon, his sci-fi/fantasy franchise for Netflix, pulls both sides of his career to further extremes. It’s a multimillion-dollar two-parter (for now) that’s technically original and highly derivative, with Snyder’s fanboy obsessions taken so far around the bend that they become niche again. Even his hordes of online fans don’t seem to care that much about it. Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Scargiver, following last year’s A Child of Fire kickoff, is supposed to be an explosive finale. But with expanded R-rated cuts of both movies definitely on the way, and ideas rattling around in Snyder’s brain for even more sequels, the whole project feels like one long, never-ending middle.

And yet: maybe this accidental middle ground is exactly what Snyder needs. Structurally, The Scargiver is no one’s idea of a proper stand-alone movie, or even a normal sequel. The first film followed the recruitment efforts of Kora (Sofia Boutella), an ex-soldier whose idyllic life on the humble farming moon Veldt is interrupted by Imperial – er, Imperium forces demanding all of their crops. Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) set out to find warriors willing to help defend Veldt; by making his failed Star Wars pitch without Lucasfilm, Snyder cut out the middleman on his Seven Samurai ripoff.

Though A Child of Fire ended by kinda-sorta killing off main Imperium bad guy Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) in a pre-emptive skirmish, he was quickly revived, so that The Scargiver can basically function as Climactic Battle: The Movie. Kora and Gunnar, along with their recruits Nemesis (Doona Bae), Titus (Djimon Hounsou) and Tarak (Staz Nair), return to Veldt and rally the citizens to defend themselves against Noble and the Imperium forces. That’s pretty much the whole movie.

This means almost all of The Scargiver is set on and above Veldt, a disappointing change from the gleeful planet-hopping of the first film. Here, instead of various sequences of nabbing warriors from various Star Wars-y worlds, there’s a single extended scene where the warriors trade backstory secrets, featuring some flashbacks that go off-world, plus a longer one revealing more about Kora’s checkered past. That’s all part of the protracted calm before the laser-blasting storm; during this early section, Snyder also includes a farming montage as only the director of 300 could. When these rebels reap their harvest of grain, they reap hard.

The comparably quieter moments all lead into an extended battle sequence that fuses last-stand westerns with a cartoon version of first world war trench warfare, and brings to mind overloaded early-2000s digital-cinema spectacles like Attack of the Clones or The Matrix Revolutions. (If that makes you shudder, subtract one star from this review’s rating. If you couldn’t stand A Child of Fire, might as well subtract two or three.) Snyder favors barrages over set pieces, and character design (which is often delightful) over character development (which is typically minimal); the nuances of human relationships elude him. He even has trouble with human-robot relationships; Jimmy, the mechanical man voiced by Anthony Hopkins , is still lurking around grappling with his sense of self. This leaves Boutella, a muscular and graceful presence, to sell Kora’s regrets, determination and self-lacerating fury with the kind of physical expressiveness that would be equally at home in silent movies and fantastical motion-capture.

Lucky as Snyder is to have her, the whole movie doesn’t rest on Boutella. There’s also a deranged zeal to Snyder’s muchness. If he’s going to bust out the kind of floating/falling giant airship over-favored by Kevin Feige in half a dozen Marvel movies, at least he stages a terrific sliding-objects fight during the fall. If he’s going to knock off his own versions of lightsabers, they’re going to look sharper and deadlier. If he’s going to utilize his newest favorite directorial party trick – focus so shallow that only a minority of any given image looks sharp at a time – he’s going to do it with the utmost commitment, even when it’s nonsensical (as in establishing shots).

Rebel Moon almost certainly didn’t need to be two multiple-cut movies. It probably could have gotten by as zero. But as a playground for Snyder’s favorite bits of speed-ramping, shallow-focusing and pulp thievery, it’s harmless, sometimes pleasingly weird fun. (That said, the first part is better and weirder.) The large-scale pointlessness feels more soothing than his past insistence on attempting to translate Watchmen into a big-screen epic, or make Superman into a tortured soul. Even Rebel Moon’s shameless attempts at serialization – The Scargiver essentially ends with another extended sequel tease, this time for a movie that stands a decent chance of never happening – feel freeing, because they excuse Snyder from the uncomfortable business of staging an apocalyptic showdown, or, worse, imparting a mournful philosophy. The whole bludgeoning enterprise is so daftly sincere, you could almost call it sweet.

Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver is out now on Netflix

• Zack Snyder
• Science fiction and fantasy films
• Anthony Hopkins
• Action and adventure films

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