Blood Star: Gnadenlose Jagd

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]

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.

Whilst I was a little anxious about this film, as I had heard there were some rather gory bits, and that's not usually my genre, I really enjoyed the film. Shot beautifully in the LA desert, it delivered suspense in bucketloads.

There were also no gratuitous sex scenes which as a woman pleased me, as this day it seems to be the easy way to go for so many. An interesting psychological twist in the major flawed personality, fabulously acted by John Schwab. It was great to see the female eventually come out on top, despite a tough journey in every sense of the word!

To think this was shot in 10 days is incredible. Was the chat in the car with the Amy and Bobbie a little too long? - maybe....but you then understand why......in a frightening second! A relationship was being set up. Bobbie played by Britni Camacho was one strong woman.

Well shot, well acted and who doesn't love a 60s Mustang driving through the desert at full throttle!

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.

It's a road trip horror that would remind us of many classics from hills have eyes to wrong turn. With it's secluded dessert backdrop and the unique feature of villain it adds up to a great thriller. Despite the blood and gore it's a stark portrayal of the chain of abuse the unfortunate and unprivileged would have to endure. The evil lawman is a physical manifestation of prejudice. Bobby and Amy is an appreciation of women's struggle. Complimentary performances make this indie a success. Great audio effects and background music. Excellent visuals and special effects. It's a satisfying watch with no obvious errors.