Wicked Blood

A set of good actors but a mediocre story. Its hard for me to be sympathetic for protagonists that don't think about the cost of others, even those they hold close when it comes to their schemes. So wrapped up in thinking they're the shiznit masterplanning fir a better life but cause only sadness and loss due to their immature actions. I was hoping I'd stumbled on to something good as I know most of these actors but it's was just a weak plot drama. The only character I had sympathy was Hannahs junkie, meth lab expert guardian, showing that addicts can come with a good heart and morals. The actor did well. Overall I feel I wastes my time . They didn't even show enough sceneries to be honest yet I'm sure there would be plenty in the area. Shoe string budget set with strong actors to hide this.

This one is better than I guessed it would be. Sean Bean makes a great Louisiana crime lord - southern accent and all! :)

8.5/10

Too often Hollywood tries to make hay from the stupidity of youth. Usually this is a problem for believability, as teenagers aren't really as immature as Hollywood contends, or we'd all be swimming in a world of vandalism and graffiti. The other error Hollywood often makes, indeed, film makers worldwide often make, is to cast older actors for younger roles. Wicked Blood (Bad Blood on my dvd) makes both these mistakes. Don't get me wrong, this is still a high stakes and interesting movie. The lead looks fifteen. What the movie really needed was a girl whom looked 10. Then all the confusion, all the massive bad judgements, all the extreme disregard for consequences, all the fantasy about a new family, and all the quaint references to chess as a game of reality would have made perfect sense. This would have been a far more powerful movie if that had been the case. That's my gripe, and I hope others disagree, because everything else about Wicked Blood is highly professional and entertaining, with great characters, well cast and played. It has an engaging story, not an Oscar for originality, but at least an unusual perspective. The film techniques, soundtrack and wonderful performances make sure it never dips into anything cliche, mundane or boring. This is solid Southern drama with streaks of both violence and conscience, and well worth a look.

Unfamiliar with the cast, they were all terrific. Really good movie... Finally found one

I watched this film simply on the recommendation of a dear friend who knows I have a thing for elements of chess in a movie, either as supporting theme or a cameo, or as the centerpiece, if you will.

The script was good, and delivered and filmed well enough, though a bit too simplistic for me and I felt I knew where the story was going too easily. It felt like a diet movie. I wasn't about to gain any mental weight trying to decipher plot twists or subtle character alleys. That's not harsh, it's just how I saw it. Most of my attention was on the analogy of chess pieces to the unfolding plot of teenage girl against the wickedness all about her. In her own family! For the life of me, I spent the better part of the credits going back and forth trying to find the source of the chess "poem," but never got anything definitive other than the script.

And don't think you're going to SEE a lot of strategic chess scenes. You have to listen to the poem interwoven throughout for the saving grace.

I found the cinematography crisp, and enjoyed the opening landscapes with a darker tie-in further into the movie.

The music was good, and per the credits, mostly original too!