By Geno McGahee
On September 1st, BLOOD PUNCH will be released on DVD, Digital HD and Cable VOD by Bluff Road Productions and Midnight Releasing. The film has made a name for itself on the festival circuit, taking home some awards, but I’ve seen plenty of bad films that have somehow cleaned house at festivals. So, my immediate expectations for this film were low, but it actually turned out to be a good watch with an interesting storyline and some humor mixed in. It’s not the sort of film that you watch multiple times but it’s the sort of film that you could enjoy very much once.
Milton (Milo Cawthorne) is in rehab after his meth lab/habit was exposed. He is trying to do his time and just move on, sitting in with the group therapy sessions and going through the motions. When Skyler (Olivia Tennet) comes to the group, she begins pushing Milton to go back to his old ways. If he can create enough quality meth, the duo could be rich and live happily ever after. Well, maybe not so much considering that Skyler has a cop boyfriend, Russell (Ari Boyland), that is in on the deal.
The trio goes to a remote cabin and everything seems to be fine. Milton is working on the meth and Skyler is sort of playing both sides. She is showing affection for Milton but is also remaining by the side of Russell, who is becoming a bigger jerk as the film goes on. At one point, he noted that he met her when she was 12-years-old.
I was immediately reminded of a movie called INTO THE FIRE, where a couple manipulates a geeky guy into murder. It has the same feel to it and some of the same storyline, but the movie veers and we begin to get something very interesting. After a scuffle, Russell lies dead. Milton buries the body and when he wakes up the next morning, Russell is back as if nothing happened. When Milton digs up the grave, Russell’s body is there. Something isn’t right.
At one point, Milton stumbles upon an area in the woods where there are fifty or so of his dead bodies lying around, decomposing. The level of mystery in this film was really good. It began to have the feel of DON’T BLINK, another recent horror entry. The suspense was very good and the mystery of it all keeps you into the flick.
Milton, being so intelligent, figures out what’s going on and figures out how to get out, but can he trust Skyler? That is another issue entirely, especially when over a million dollars of potential wealth is staring her in the face. It ends well and proved to be a well-written, suspenseful film.
BLOOD PUNCH, directed by Madellaine Paxson, is an interesting movie that drags at times. It runs 1 hour and 45 minutes, and I think that had they cut it down a little, the film would have moved at a better rate, especially early. Once it gets moving, it moves quite well, but the beginning thirty minutes or so, are rather slow. The performances of the main cast are very good, especially Milo Cawthorne. He played the weak/tough role very well and it was easy to sympathize with him. Credit to both Tennet and Boyland as well for very solid performances.
I recommend BLOOD PUNCH. It’s absolutely worth a rental. Much like DON’T BLINK, I loved the mystery side of this film. At points, it gets very compelling.
Rating: 7/10
