Blood Star

I enjoyed Blood Star really much..brought me back to early low budget days of Rodriquez and Tarantino!

The acting is good (especially the leads, the sheriff and the lead actress), locations are chosen well. The right location can create an entire atmosphere and elevate a simple story into something more immersive. Whether the film takes place in a small town or remote setting, the environment can feel just as much like a character as the people in the story.

The story represents the horror that is "lawmakers gone rouge" really well.

I heard that it's the first feature of the director with and excited to see more!

Wait a minute this movie location looks similar to "The Last Stop in Yuma County". Because if I did research correctly, the location is New Mexico, The story/plot of the film is boring and less interesting, the characters were unforgettable, the Sheriff wanted to murder these victims so that he can hunt down the next victim and murders her, I feel like that's pretty much it for the plot/story. Is there intension, very few and minor wise but not for like hey is good movie and definitely recommend, nope nothing like that. The movie was okay. They did a good job with making the sheriff very psychopath. His acting was pretty impressive too. The cinematography was good. They could have done with a better female lead. The storyline was absurd and feels so unrealistic half of the time. I hate when I'm watching a movie and I'm thinking oh that's silly why not call 9-1-1, that just means the plot wasn't thought through properly. A good movie should make you empathise with the characters and feel their emotions. This one I was laughing most of the time despite it being a horror film.

The fact that I was led to believe that the 2024 movie "Blood Star" was a horror movie, was more than sufficient for me to sit down and watch it. I am a big fan of all things horror. Sure, I had never heard about the movie, prior to sitting down and watching it, so I didn't know what I was in for, nor what to expect. So I suppose, in a sense, then director Lawrence Jacomelli had every opportunity to entertain and impress me.

But "Blood Star" was a thriller, not a horror movie. So that was a bit of a disappointment.

Honestly, I am a bit surprised that writers Lawrence Jacomelli, George Kelly and Victoria Hinks Taylor collectively could only muster to conjure up a script as generic and mundane as they did. But wait, I am not saying that "Blood Star" is a bad movie, not at all. It was just a bland and generic high way harassment type of movie. And essentially, if you've seen one such movie, then chances are you've seen them all.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But they definitely had a good cast ensemble, and leading actress Britni Camacho carried the movie nicely. But I will say that I was especially impressed with John Schwab's performance as Sheriff Bilstein.

There is a bit of violence in the movie, which definitely helps to spruce up the otherwise somewhat mediocre storyline.

"Blood Star" is a watchable thriller, sure, but it is hardly a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing.

The ending of the movie was just a slap in the face to anyone who had been sitting through the entire movie.

My rating of director Lawrence Jacomelli's 2024 movie "Blood Star" lands on a five out of ten stars.

It's a road trip horror that would remind us of many classics from hills have eyes to wrong turn. With it's secluded dessert backdrop and the unique feature of villain it adds up to a great thriller. Despite the blood and gore it's a stark portrayal of the chain of abuse the unfortunate and unprivileged would have to endure. The evil lawman is a physical manifestation of prejudice. Bobby and Amy is an appreciation of women's struggle. Complimentary performances make this indie a success. Great audio effects and background music. Excellent visuals and special effects. It's a satisfying watch with no obvious errors.

With this movie, I was hoping for an underrated little gem because the premise sounded like something I would enjoy, and the ratings and reviews seemed decent, even though some of them are clearly fake. We follow a young woman who is driving through the New Mexico desert in her 1975 Ford Mustang II Ghia. Her life is kind of a mess right now, and it doesn't get any better after she finds herself the target of a psychopathic small-town sheriff.

The premise clearly shares similarities with The Hitcher or Wolf Creek, but it never quite reaches the heights those movies did. The film is overall well shot, and the acting is also pretty solid, though I wish the characters had more standout traits. The sheriff, played by John Schwab, made for a decent enough villain, but he was also pretty stereotypical and not particularly unique. It would've taken a bit more to make him truly memorable. I actually think Richard Brake would have been a perfect fit, even if that would've been typecasting.

Our protagonist Bobbie, played by Britni Camacho, was a little unlikable at times, but I couldn't help feeling sympathy for her, not just for the situation she was in, but also for her character in general. Both actors did great, especially considering they have nearly all of the screen time, with only a few minor supporting characters appearing throughout.

Unfortunately, the film leans heavily on tired tropes of the genre and includes many stereotypical and unrealistic moments. The decisions made by our protagonist definitely hold the movie back from being more enjoyable, as you're constantly wondering how she can make such poor choices. Despite that, I can't deny that the movie was enjoyable, and I had a decent time overall. [5,5/10]