If Death of a Salesman was made by the Coen Brothers, it might look something like Blood for Dust. Rod Blackhurst’s ’90s-set Montana crime drama is set during a time of economic hardship, and similar to Hell or High Water, shows how easily financial despair can lead to criminality. While not breaking any barriers of the genre, the film’s economy of plot, strong central performances by accomplished character actors, and grimy cinematography tell an underworld story that is nevertheless compelling.
Playing the Willy Lohman-esque character Cliff is Scoot McNairy, in what is a too-rare leading role. Cliff is a struggling salesman who peddles junk products to potential buyers and false hopes of prosperity to his wife (Nora Zehetner), who appreciates her hard-working husband. Cliff has a shady past, in movies like this everyone has a shady past, and it involves a corrupt scheme gone wrong years earlier that led to an accomplice’s suicide. Part of that dirty business was Cliff’s buddy, Ricky, played by Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington in a lovely handlebar mustache that tells you instantly he’s not to be trusted. It’s an atypical role for Harington, who doesn’t a bit of the heroic attributes we’re accustomed to seeing from him. Ricky is a scumbag. We know it, Cliff knows it, but desperate measures and all that.
Ricky gets Cliff wrapped up in lucrative plot transporting some cocaine for a local drug kingpin, played by Josh Lucas in a small but scene-chewing role. On the surface, Cliff is just a regular working stiff. Nobody on the outside would know his law-breaking ways, and certainly wouldn’t expect him to be working for a drug dealer. Of course, this seemingly easy job goes horribly wrong, as they tend to do when everyone has their own best interest at heart.
Blackhurst, who also co-wrote the screenplay, isn’t breaking the mold here, and that’s fine. He allows time for his actors to fill some of the empty spaces and flesh out their characters. Of particular interest is Cliff’s rationale for the lies he tells his loyal wife, which again are like a dark twist on Willy Lohman. There’s a bit too much downtime, and the film gets saggy right in the middle. But those times are also filled with welcome appearances by Stephen Dorff and Ethan Suplee, and a chilling tone set by Lucas’ snarling heel performance.
Blood for Dust rewards those who endure the slow stretches with a serious uptick in violence. The final stretch is a grisly bit of business as the masks come off and the guns come out. You won’t be surprised by any of it, but there’s something to be said about an old-fashioned crime movie about greed and the corrupting promise of money. It gets ’em every time.
Blood for Dust opens in theaters and VOD on April 19th.
