Blood Star

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.

I stumbled across this movie randomly, and I saw the IMDB score was decent. Overall, it's not bad

The movie makes-do with little. The cast is entirely unknown and limited, and most of the movie takes place on a desolate road. But the movie is suspenseful, the sheriff is repulsive, and the lead actress isn't hard to root for. The run time is just right. It's reminiscent of the movies Joy Ride and Wrecker .

There are several flaws though: the lead actress isn't a good actress. There are times when the camera focuses on her while she's in the car, and her attempts to act scared and/or panicky are not done well. The plot is good at the start when they focus on a cat-and-mouse game between the sheriff and the lead actress, but near the end, it goes a little left field, in a direction that I didn't like (I won't spoil and say more). Some convos between characters drag on a little too long (eg the lead actress and a certain diner worker)

5.5/10.

Meh.. it's a 5 ... it's not terrible, but it's not memorable or remarkable in any way either. Definitely NOT a "must see" or close to it.

A mix of "The Hitcher" and "Texas Chainsaw" (sans chainsaw) to a degree.

I gotta wonder.. where are these attractive women driving trough deserts in classic muscle cars??? Funny how its never a Civic, Accord, Camry, Escort.. always a muscle car.. although the 80s Mustang in this film isn't really the same genre as earlier muscle cars.. it's still a Mustang.

Anyway... film was okay.. exceptionally "talky" in the middle.. the social commentary among two women in the car about domestic abuse was really not necessary and had a CLEAR ulterior agenda. Pointless, unnecessary drivel.

As a film.. it dragggggs then stalls completely, then finally moves. But even when it's moving it's not terribly original.

Character motivations were largely unclear... acting was okay, well... for the most part.

No sex or nudity, one minor adult situation.. which seems rather irrelevant given the violence and foul language. It's labeled "psychological" a few times for a reason... it's more about mood and setting than any on screen gore or "terror". There's blood.. but this is more a thriller than a horror.

Continuity error... keep an eye on that taillight.....

No pun intended - now you can give or cut this some slack .. especially if you think about this being done in just 10 days (shot that is - another pun that was not intended) ... I really was trying to like this ... flaws included and all. But while the cinematography is really good and the bad guy has some (needed) charisma ... the script takes turns that just are not ... well they are not helping.

Take last third exposition ... just too much! And I don't mean the "excuse" our bad guy comes up with. Not necessary in my book, but short enough that it does work. No I mean the talk in the car between two girls/women ... I understand it is supposed to give us a bonding process ... but it just slows the movie way down and does not add much ... if anything. Well (running) time ... add to that some weird monologue our main character has ... some is I reckon necessary ... other is beyond satire or humor ... especially when she enters a room that someone told her is a rest room ... and she tells us this isn't a rest room - don't remember her quote ... as with the conversation in the car, likely something that might happen, but has no business and no real need to be in the movie .... makes the character look ... not intelligent. Shame thought this could have been (way more) fun.

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]