Blood for Dust review – action-crime thriller gives us a career-best Kit Harington

There’s a trail of blood that winds itself through Idaho, leading to a regular middle-aged salesman. Rod Blackhurst’s 1992-set action-crime thriller, Blood for Dust, wades into the weeds of an illegal operation shifting drugs and weapons across state lines. However, the icy noir begins with Cliff (Scoot McNairy), a trove of secrets in the form of a man, desperately trying to shift defibrillators. A rather ironic product for the murderous events that follow.

A dead former colleague, depleting sales and a mournful wife (Nora Zehetner) drive Cliff into a corner. With no place to turn, like a horrid guardian angel, Ricky (Kit Harington) and his untrustworthy handlebar moustache appear. While Cliff tried to follow an honest path, Ricky has thrown himself into the business of cross-state drug deliveries under the watchful eye of terrifying cartel boss John (Josh Lucas), who slams heads against desks like the most unpredictable Bond villain. When Cliff and Ricky reunite at a bar, their gruff voices and same driving route immediately forges a connection. Ricky extends a hand to his former work friend, the deal is simple: swap his trunk of defibrillators for drugs and team up to chase a juicy pay cheque.

Traversing through the snow-covered landscape, reminiscent of the Coen Brothers’ Fargo, the pair then embark on a stylish gun-touting road trip. Screenwriter David Ebeltoft handles unfolding drama like a sparked fuse; balancing explosive intention with naive hope as Cliff and Ricky’s cold and vehemently tense relationship thaws into a dubious partnership. Though, when Ricky goes rogue and double-crosses the big boss, Cliff lets his concern metastasise until he’s complicit in several murders and in a fight for survival.

Their journey is captured by cinematographer Justin Derry in the low haze of streetlights, providing an almost panoramic backseat view. From aerial shots of suspiciously sparse car parks to sharply focused frames of a finger of the trigger, the film boasts some astonishing visuals; Cliff rests his eyes in one moment and with the speed of a gunshot, it is then morning. The unstable relationship with time haunts Cliff as he trades his life in for the chance at redemption.

Running from reality, Cliff’s journey into darkness is soundtracked by rumbling drums that seem to preemptively warn of danger, as Nick Bohun’s creeping score adds to the paranoid atmosphere. Harington delivers a career-best performance as the ruthless dealer leaving a bloody trail in his wake. McNairy, too, exudes a deadly dichotomy of desperate and determined, committing entirely to the complexities of the role. As Cliff is led further into the criminal world, Ebeltoft’s script and McNairy’s tempered approach only refine the character’s humanity: “I’m just like you, Ricky. Setting one up to make the next one more challenging. That’s what a good salesman does. He takes that lie and turns around and sells it himself.”

Blood for Dust was screened as part of the Tribeca Film Festival 2023. A UK release date is yet to be announced.