BLOOD WIDOW ** USA 2020 Dir: Brendan Guy Murphy. 94 mins
A serial killer is on the loose in Arizona, and detectives Valentine and Stokes are on the case. The victims have gruesome neck wounds and come from a variety of backgrounds. When he sleeps, Valentine dreams of these victims who offer clues about their case. He soon begins to suspect that this is no ordinary killer, and these killings contain a supernatural element that will tie their clear-cut police work into a supernatural world of vampires looking to resurrect their kind in this modern era.
Blood Widow is a dry, slow-moving story whose ominous score and extra long pauses in dialogue fall flat in building any kind of suspense or horror. The acting isn’t bad, but the dialogue is hokey, utilizing stale police jargon and cookie cutter villain monologues. The makeup and gore is pretty impressive, but the colorless landscape and unremarkable plot keeps it from elevating the story’s energy. Ultimately, it’s a good idea with a decent cast but not much to work with and an unsatisfying ending to an unmemorable vampire tale.
Review by Laura Smith
