Review by Quin
In the time that Blood Punch has played at various film festivals and theater screenings, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately, theater runs must come to an end and films then live on in digital format for personal viewing. It’s no big secret that the theater experience is usually way different than the one at home. Some would argue that it’s better, given that your emotions feed off the energy of the crowd. However, there is something to be said for being able to have control of when you start and stop the film as well as not having the noise of whispering movie-goers and crinkling candy wrappers for the duration of the film. My only experience with Blood Punch was solo and beginning September 1, you too can view it on your own time when it hits VOD, Digital HD and DVD.
I know Blood Punch has been an audience favorite and it’s won festival awards, and while there is plenty to admire here, I must admit that I found the whole thing rather underwhelming, overlong and not quite as clever as it was intended to be. I want to make it clear that I don’t think this makes all of those festival goers wrong. It just goes to show that this is probably the kind of movie that should be seen with a late night packed audience of genre fans.
Drug addicted Milton is spending some time getting clean in a rehab center. One day during a meeting/counciling session he meets Skyler. She makes it clear to everyone that she is there to look for someone who can cook crystal meth. Skyler gets Milton interested by offering him a job where he only has to cook meth for one day and he’ll make a bunch of money. How can he say no? She’s gorgeous and she’s offering him everything he wants. The two take off together to a cabin in the woods where they will be joined by Skyler’s ex-cop boyfriend Russell. Right away, Russell seems a bit off and it’s not long before Milton’s day of cooking is looking like it might take a bit longer.
Blood Punch is constructed like a somewhat psychedelic and occasionally gory neo-noir. It definitely doesn’t have the look of the traditional noir films. Most of the film is set during the day. There is no notable use of shadows. While one of the main characters smokes constantly in mostly exterior locations, smoke dissipates before it has a chance to billow. The most noirish things here are the subject matter and the characters. Milton is about to get in over his head in crime related activities and a femme fatale is going to help him get there.
The acting is one of the things I liked the most about Blood Punch. It goes a little haywire because the assortment of characters don’t always seem like they should co-exist in the same universe. Milo Cawthorne and Olivia Tennet (who are married in real life) are great at sparring with each other as well as turning up the heat at times. Even though they feel like they are in a different movie, Cohen Holloway and Adelaide Kane as a drug dealing duo, have a couple of good scenes with some zany comedic moments. Ari Boyland has an amusing character to play, but unfortunately it gets repetitive quickly.
You’ll be happy to know that despite the meth cooking plot device and a character named Skyler, I can’t find much else in common with Breaking Bad. Comparing Blood Punch to Breaking Bad because of the meth is like comparing Corvette Summer to Star Wars because they both feature Mark Hamill.
I suppose the main reason this movie didn’t work for me was due to the various plot twists and the way the script plays with time. I found it all so predictable. The second act is incredibly strong, following a silly first act, but by the end of the movie I was bored again and ready for it all to be over. I would imagine if you’ve seen many noir films, you’ll probably feel the same way. For a similar, but much more rewarding time bending movie experience, I recommend Time Crimes (which is a modern classic) and as weird as it is for me to admit this, last year’s Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow is fantastic and so much fun. Perhaps Blood Punch is fun in a crowded movie theater, but I will certainly never know that first hand.
Blood Punch will be available September 1 on Digital HD, VOD and DVD from Bluff Road Productions and Midnight Releasing.