BLOOD as written by Bill Gallagher and directed by Nick Murphy is a dark psychological drama set in Hilbre Island, Wirral, Merseyside, England: the setting is almost as important as the story. Unlike other thriller dramas based on good cop/bad cop concepts, this story is about a family of policemen and how they deal with crime and the ramifications of their actions as preservers of justice. It probes deeply into the crisis of a small family and manages to keep a tight grip on the audience's attention throughout.
Joe Fairburn (Paul Bettany) and his younger brother Chrissie Fairburn (Stephen Graham) are the sons of retired policeman Lenny Fairburn (Brian Cox) who despite his advancing senility still comes around the police station to relive the old days. The brothers are investigating the brutal murder of a young girl found bludgeoned on the streets. The chief suspect is one Jason Buleigh (Ben Crompton) who despite a criminal record seems to be covering his old life with a religious one, a turn that pleases his supportive mother (Sandra Voe). But mounting evidence of finding Jason's photographs of young girls in his room convinces Joe and Chrissie that Jason is guilty despite the fact that their fellow policeman Robert Seymour (Mark Strong) doesn't feel the evidence is strong enough to keep Jason arrested. The brothers take the law into their own hands and in an attempt to get a confession from Jason, Joe has him dig a hole in the beach sand, and in a terrifying moment Jason (in the process of being buried) confesses and Joe's mind goes berserk and he kills Jason with a shovel. From this point on the brothers begin meltdown: they bury the body and destroy all evidence, Chrissie's girlfriend Jemma (Zoë Tapper) finally hears the truth, the true killer of the murdered girl are found and arrested, Joe is discovered to be the killer of Jason, and the once tight family disintegrates - plunging into tragedy.
The plot line is tangled at times by subplots that don't develop but in fact that leads to the sense of mental confusion both brothers carry, having committed a crime as cops, burying the evidence only to attempt to distract the truth of the deed that leads to failures. Bettany, Graham and Cox are strong in their roles as is Mark Strong in the rather small role he is given. This is a dark film, well acted, with an interesting turn in the tales of how cops face their own actions.
Grady Harp
