A retired veteran hunting in Northern Maine stumbles across a dead woman and a large sum of money.
In the snowy remote woods of Allagash, Maine, Jim Reed (Tom Berenger) is setting his rifle’s sights on an unsuspecting deer. With one shot, he hits his mark and carries the carcass back to his truck. Jim lives alone in an RV watching sports on his TV while slowly smoking cigarettes, and attends AA meetings. Berenger is one of my favorite actors from yesteryear. In the ’80s and ’90s, he fit that classic ruggedly handsome leading man that was believable in an authoritarian antagonistic way that few actors capture. In this role, he’s forlorn over the death of his daughter and mostly withdrawn in sadness.
One morning while working on the undercarriage of his pick-up truck he begins violently coughing up blood and passes out. After regaining consciousness, he heads to the local Sheriff (a criminally underused Paul Ben-Victor) and the two have a friendly conversation without much exposition. Afterward, Jim heads to the local diner and the waitress chats with him mentioning “people getting shot during a casino robbery.” According to a news bulletin, the suspects are on the loose with stolen loot.
Hoping to bag a large buck, Jim tracks down a beautiful deer with white antlers but frustratingly misses his first shot. After trudging through the snow he catches a glimpse of a moving object and fires again. The unintended target happens to be a female with a large bundle of cash while dying she says, “you’re so fucking dead.” Jim is distraught and realizes she’s a suspect in the casino robbery. To make matters worse, her associates want their money back and some revenge.
“Blood and Money” takes place in the sub-genre where the dumb-luck of a hunter stumbling across a large sum of cash results in a horrible cascading snowball-effect. In previous outings like “No Country for Old Men” and “A Simple Plan,” these scenarios usually involve more experienced, nefarious criminals looking to reclaim their fortune by any means necessary.
The Allagash woods with its caves, icy blue rivers, and large bare trees elevate the setting but can’t save the underwhelming screenplay. I think a re-write of the third act and fewer cuts in the editing room would’ve made this an above-average thriller. Hopefully, Berenger can be cast in something better and hit his next mark.
Available on VOD May 15th
