Perhaps the worst swop schoolboys might ever do but ‘Blood for Dust’ is instead a thriller very much in the vein of the Coen brothers film, ‘Fargo’ and that’s no bad thing. Set in 1992 in a snowy Montana it opens with a brutal opening scene with Ricky (Kit Harrington) and Cliff (Scoot McNairy) arriving at a scene of carnage that has involved their now late friend taking his life which in turn has saved theirs.
The incident sees both men go their separate ways with Cliff now a defibulator salesman and Ricky now a gun running drug dealer for the sort of people who don’t offer a pension scheme because their employees will never make it that far. Despite Cliff’s involvement previously with Ricky, he is a church going soul with a loyal and dedicated wife both coping with a cancer stricken child. Struggling to make ends meet as a salesman Cliff ends up getting fired and crossing paths with Ricky who coaxes him back into a shady partnership with in a plan that will see them double cross Ricky’s boss John (Josh Lucas) the sort of man who regards all his employees as instantly dispensable along with their nearest and dearest if it so suits him. Having seen Ricky bump off a pair of hoodlums it occurs to Cliff that he could be next once he’s played his part in their scam and the law of this type of genre is that their scam is obliged to go awry.
Harrington plays effectively against type from his Game of Throne days and McNairy (most recently seen in the ‘Speak no Evil’ remake opposite James McAvoy) is especially good as an essentially decent man but weary with his lot in life never getting the breaks he feels he should be getting.
Though the Coen brothers figure large here and their stunning debut Blood Simple’ (catch the Directors Cut if you can) is the template taking a standard plot and making it your own. Writer David Ebeltoft along with director and co-writer Rod Blackhurst don’t quite give the genre tropes the spin that might be wanted and there’s no plot twists here to surprise in what is ultimately an even handed affair. Blackhurst is perhaps best known for his documentary’s about Amanda Knox and John Wayne Gacy and he handles the action competently that leads to an explosive final act but Blood for Dust though only around 100 minutes long is laboriously paced , perhaps too much for audiences and a penchant for slow and deliberately paced tracking shots doesn’t help in what is a slow burn genre pic.
related feature : The Coen brothers, ‘Blood Simple’ – Directors Cut reviewed HERE
related feature : ‘Speak No Evil’ – director Christian Tafdrup talks about the original film with THAT bleak ending!
We chat with Scoot McNairy about the film……
Here’s the Blood for Dust trailer……
