Jump to content

Blood Star

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blood Star
Directed byLawrence Jacomelli
Written by
  • Lawrence Jacomelli
  • George Kelly
  • Victoria Hinks Taylor
CinematographyPascal Combes-Knoke
Edited byRoss Evison
Music byFelix Lindsell-Hales
Production
companies
  • Beast Video Production Company
  • Fastback Films
  • Pictures Up
  • Beast Los Angeles
Distributed byPlaion (UK)
Meteor (Germany)
Swift (France)
Release dates
  • 9 July 2024 (2024-07-09) (NIFFF)
  • 7 October 2024 (2024-10-07) (UK)
Running time
89 minutes
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom

Blood Star is a 2024 psychological thriller film directed and produced by Lawrence Jacomelli (in his directorial debut) from a script he wrote with Victoria Hinks Taylor and George Kelly and based on the short story, "Don't Look Back". The film stars John Schwab, Britni Camacho (in her feature film debut), Wyomi Reed, Felix Merback, Sydney Brumfield, Brandon Brown, Joseph Lopez, Eliot and Travis Lincoln Cox.

Blood Star premiered at NIFFF in Switzerland on July 9th 2024 and was released in the UK on October, 7th 2024 by Plaion. It was produced by Beast Productions, Fastback Films and Beast Los Angeles.

Plot

[edit]

A young woman traveling across the New Mexico desert becomes the obsession of a deranged local sheriff, who sees his authority as a free pass to exploit defenseless victims. To stay alive, she must rely on her streetwise instincts.

Cast

[edit]
  • Britni Camacho as Bobbi Torres
  • John Schwab as Sheriff Bilstein
  • Sydney Brumfield as Amy
  • Brandon Brown as Truck Driver
  • Felix Merback as Blake
  • Wyomi Reed as the First Victim
  • Joseph Lopez as the Diner Boss
  • Eliot as Chuck
  • Travis Lincoln Cox as Ed

Critical response

[edit]

Phil Hoad, writing for The Guardian, explained that "Jacomelli has an undeniable eye for compacting a pulpy morass into snappy imagery, such as a closeup of the sheriff's loathsome kisser as he chomps chicken wings, or the neat transition between scattered scrapyard cars and a box of hijacked mobile phones."[1] Tim Molloy from MovieMaker said that the film is "a genre film that finds time for unforgettable Tarantinoesque moments, including one in which we watch the sheriff just eat chicken"[2]

Starburst editor Martin Unsworth noted the film "takes a few different paths and keeps the viewer's interest throughout, and boasts some interesting curveballs and a genuine shock moment"[3] Prairie Miller of WBAI opined that "although torture and mayhem lace this thriller, there is likewise however ferocious, food for thought along the way."[4] Albert Nowicki of His Name is Death praised Blood Star for its "feverish atmosphere", and called it "a solid thriller about the abuse of power and hatred towards women." He noted that the film's chase and escape sequences were "filmed with finesse, energy, and imagination."[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hoad, Phil (2024-10-01). "Blood Star review – young tearaway fights for survival in cat-and-mouse thriller". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  2. ^ "In Blood Star, Grindhouse Meets Arthouse on Desert Roads". MovieMaker. 2024-11-23. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  3. ^ "Blood Star". Starburst. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  4. ^ Miller, Prairie (September 18, 2024). "Blood Star Review: Low Wage Police State Is The New Noir". WBAI. Pacifica Foundation. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  5. ^ "Na celowniku szaleńca – 'Krwawa odznaka' (2024)". His Name is Death. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
[edit]