Dark Blood (2021) Blu-ray Review

John Leguizamo’s Unrelenting Prison Drama

Dark Blood is a hard-hitting prison thriller starring an engaged John Leguizamo. He plays a father sent to an inhumane prison after killing the man who murdered his young son. The veteran actor slips right into the gritty, demanding role with an uncanny presence.

Director Harold Trompetero’s Spanish-language film from South America is a shocking examination of a man trying to hold it together as he loses everything that matters in his world. Suffering repeated abuses, the prisoner becomes attached to a friendly dog allowed to roam freely inside the brutal setting.

Dark Blood is a hard-hitting prison thriller starring an engaged John Leguizamo

The low-budget prison flick is the story of Misael (John Leguizamo) and his horrid life in prison. Seemingly abandoned by his wife and surviving son, Misael suffers horrific abuse from the merciless prison guards. There’s nothing fair or enjoyable for him in these squalid conditions.

Surrounded by threats around every corner, Misael begins falling into loneliness and despair. His only respite is affection from the prison’s stray dog, Mange. The tormented man forms a bond with Mange, his last shred of normalcy.

Misael’s family begins distancing themselves from him as he rots in prison. Desperate to explain his actions to his remaining son, Misael uses a shady prisoner’s connections with the outside world contacting the boy. The ploy earns the wrath of a ruthless head guard, who runs the Bogotá prison with an iron fist and cruel treatment. Their conflict drives much of Dark Blood’s chilling story.

As we learn more about the situation which led to Misael’s crime, the narrative starts clicking into place. Dark Blood is a perceptive film about the harsh realities of prison life and the toll it takes on the human psyche, leading to an unforgettable conclusion. The bloody climax lands with a wallop, the logical development for a tortured man who has nothing left.

The gritty prison drama with a flair for graphic violence isn’t for everyone but John Leguizamo’s compelling performance certainly merits a look. It’s a sturdy indie film made with a talented cast and a few neat tricks up its lurid sleeve. Dark Blood’s intense drama is ultimately about the effects of isolation and unnecessary cruelty.

Video

FilmRise issues Dark Blood on Blu-ray in a decidedly average 1.78:1 presentation with no obvious flaws beyond the limitations of a smaller budget. The main feature run 82 minutes, encoded in satisfactory AVC on a BD-25 with no major issues.

There are hints of ISO noise and minor crushing in the sharp, unfiltered cinematography. The palette isn’t heavily saturated and reflects the cold, harsh prison setting. Flesh-tones are on the colder side; there isn’t much warmth in the video.

The 2021 production has excellent HD definition and extra-fine detail in close-ups. A touch of grit and noisy texture add a bit of cold reality to the digital film capture. Indie filmmaking has come a long way in the last decade and Dark Blood reflects the industry’s steady improvements in clarity. This is a solid transfer likely pulled directly from the digital intermediate with no unnecessary processing.

Audio

The native Spanish audio is heard in ordinary 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA selections. No English dub is provided for the indie film from South America. It’s a competent but perfunctory surround mix largely driven by dialogue and atmospheric noises inside the prison.

The Spanish dialogue is cleanly rendered with adequate dynamics. Almost all audio is directed towards the front soundstage with minimal separation. A couple key moments are nicely reinforced with powerful bass.

Forced English subtitles play in a white font. It’s not possible defeating them if you are fluent in Spanish.

Extras

Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery (HD)

Dark Blood Theatrical Trailer (01:53 in HD)

Full disclosure: This Blu-ray was provided to us for review by the label. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 43 full resolution, uncompressed HD screen shots grabbed directly from the Blu-ray: