Dark Blood (1993)

TOMATOMETER

80%

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Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.

AUDIENCE SCORE

63%

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Movie Info

A young widower (River Phoenix) retreats to a remote nuclear testing site to await the apocalypse, but finds his solitude disrupted by a high-powered Hollywood couple (Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis) whose car broke down during a drive through the desert. Initially coming to the couple's aid, the isolated man soon decides to imprison them. Though director George Sluizer (The Vanishing) originally ceased production of Dark Blood when the film's young star Phoenix died tragically at 23, the film arrived onscreen nearly 20 years after its original scheduled release date.

Cast

River Phoenix
as Boy
Jonathan Pryce
as Harry Fletcher
Judy Davis
as Buffy Fletcher
Karen Black
Rhonda Aldrich
T. Dan Hopkins
as Joe Tapesi

Critic Reviews for Dark Blood

All Critics (5) | Top Critics (3)

Dark Blood quickly announces itself as pure folly -- a movie that, had it made it to theaters two decades ago, would be long forgotten by now, save for the occasional late-night airing in the basic-cable badlands.

Feb 24, 2013 | Full Review…
Village Voice
Top Critic

Left unfinished when River Phoenix died of drug-related causes in the middle of shooting, this terrifically played and superbly photographed three-hander reveals to what extent the 23-year-old star was an intense and unpredictable talent.

Feb 14, 2013 | Full Review…
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic

Phoenix exerts a suitably charismatic and commanding air in his final role, making Boy a complex, fully mature character.

Oct 22, 2012
Variety
Top Critic

It's fascinating to watch the feature after all these years of rumors and leaked clips, finally able to grasp the last images of River Phoenix before his untimely death. For that alone, Dark Blood is worth a look.

Oct 10, 2013 | Rating: B- | Full Review…
Blu-ray.com

Phoenix's performance is as fragmentary and uneven as the film itself but has an energy about it that reminds us of why he seemed such a distinctive screen presence before his untimely death.

Oct 1, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Guardian
View All Critic Reviews (5)

Audience Reviews for Dark Blood

Apparently the only reason anyone can find for watching this is the fact that it is River Phoenix' final film, since it's not only incomplete but mainly sterile and forgettable, unable to be tense or sexy as a provocative thriller and with some serious racist and sexist undertones.

Carlos Magalhães
Carlos Magalhães

Super Reviewer

Fascinating! This movie is indeed one of a kind.

Leo L
Leo L

Super Reviewer

View All Audience Reviews

Dark Blood Quotes

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