‘Blood For Dust’ Tribeca Film Review: A Predictable-Yet-Engaging Neo-Western Crime Thriller

On paper, Rod Blackhurst’s Blood for Dust is just a standard film within the Neo-Western genre: a man (Scoot McNairy) down on his luck trying to earn money for himself and/or his family who eventually partners with a shady criminal (Kit Harrington) to earn one big score that will set both of them for life, but as they dig further and further into the criminal underworld, they’ll learn that their score comes at the risk of losing not just their lives, but their loved ones as well.

Every cliche and trope that you can imagine a Neo-Western story could have is littered throughout Blood for Dust. However, while its predictability makes for a film that has very few, if any, surprises or moments of subversion, it more than makes up for it by creating the most entertaining and engaging film that it can be, and for the most part, it succeeds at what it is trying to accomplish as this is by far one of the more entertaining films I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival. While this film is nowhere near as well-made as something like No Country for Old Men or Hell or High Water – I could pretty much predict exactly what was going to happen I was still engaged, especially during the shootout scenes.

The gunfights scenes were without a doubt the stand-out moments of the film as rather than just blasting epic or bombastic music to accompany the action scenes, the film instead chooses to present these moments as plainly as possible. By forgoing any type of music, it helps the audience focus their attention on the action, and considering how gritty and realistic these gunfights look and feel, it definitely kept me engaged even if what I was watching was not anything that special or unique.

Additionally, this is a very well-shot film as almost every single frame was beautifully presented. Whether it be large landscape shots or quieter moments where the characters sit down and share food together, the film boasts beautiful cinematography, resulting in a movie that is incredibly polished. One of my favorite shots of the film is the moment when Cliff (Scoot McNairy) calls someone on the phone and the sunset beams directly into the shot. It was incredible to look at and while the rest of the film doesn’t quite look as great as that moment, overall, the film offers some impressive cinematography.

Aside from the predictability and lack of surprises, there aren’t any major flaws or issues I have with Blood for Dust. Admittedly, Harrington’s attempt at doing a Western accent was incredibly distracting and out-of-place. However, considering he was delivering a solid performance throughout the film, I was forgiving of the weird accent before it eventually grew on me.

Overall, this is a well-shot and entertaining Neo-Western that kept me entertained from beginning to end. While it’s nothing mind-blowing or innovative, it is perfectly fine for what it is, and sometimes that is all a movie needs to be.