Blood for Dust, 2024.
Directed by Rod Blackhurst.
Starring Scoot McNairy, Kit Harington, Josh Lucas, Stephen Dorff, Nora Zehetner, Ethan Suplee, Amber Rose Mason, Megan Folsom, Chris Mullinax, Golden Garnick, Everett Blunck, Algin Mendez, Jeff Medley, J.D. Hoppe, Gabriel Clark, Blake de Pastino, Scott McCauley, Travis W Bruyer, John Budge, Ross O’Connor, Russ Tiller, Robert Majerus, and Jackson T. Scott.
SYNOPSIS:
Cliff, a traveling salesman drowning under the weight of providing for his family and the myth of the American dream, finds himself on a dangerous path after a chance encounter with Ricky, a colleague from a dark past.
At the core of standard crime-caping and betrayal in director Rod Blackhurst’s Blood for Dust is the idea that a salesman doesn’t just traffic in lies for unloading a product but utilizes those same tactics in their personal life. It is a dynamic that might have been better served if David Ebeltoft’s screenplay cut to that sooner, opting for a slow burn through familiar material that, nonetheless, makes up for some of that glacial pacing by grounding itself in characterization and stakes.
Cliff (Scoot McNairy) is a traveling salesman in the early 90s, at the dawn of television marketing that would make most of his work obsolete. He is currently trying to sell various parties on the usefulness of defibrillators, desperately looking for cash to put his terminally ill child through treatments, something he promises his wife will happen, assuring her that his line of work is going smoothly. It’s not. He is also caught up in a tangled web of intrigue regarding his previous employer, which seems to have involved stolen money and a mess that led to an accountant blowing their brains out.
Now, with no work lined up, Cliff nervously considers a proposition by old friend turned guns and drugs runner Ricky (Kit Harington), a scheming fellow with much more on his mind than he leads on. There isn’t necessarily any surprise where the filmmakers are going with any of this, but it does provide Cliff and Ricky ample opportunity to discuss their lives and how they’ve ended up in their respective tight spots.
Expectedly, Scoot McNairy is solid in the role, nuanced, and wearing emotional baggage over his face. It’s a reserved, weathered performance where the desperation comes across more internally rather than externally. The character is connected to some troubling events his wife doesn’t know about, still grappling with the aftermath behind her back in a manner that gives more complexity to the role. However, what is pleasantly unexpected is Kit Harington believable in the role of a shady, duplicitous Midwestern smalltime criminal; in a career mostly consisting of disappointments following fame on Game of Thrones, this is easily one of his strongest cinematic turns, generating an uneasy bond with his co-star.
Still, there is no denying that much of Blood for Dust is belabored, something more palpable considering its formulaic plotting. However, the more these characters talk and find themselves relying on one another once the shit hits the fan, the unfolding action is admittedly tense and unflinchingly bloody. The consequences of these choices also carry substantial weight, considering the fittingly devastating conclusion. It is rocky and tedious, but ultimately winning due to the strength of its central performances and an ensemble of recognizable supporting player faces. The personal story and questionable morals surrounding the violence offer a reason to invest and care about what happens here.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published April 15, 2024. Updated April 16, 2024.
