About the Film

About the Film

Synopsis, themes, production details, festival history and full credits.

Synopsis

The Story

Logline

A petty thief crossing the New Mexico desert becomes the target of a psychopathic sheriff and must rely on raw instinct and street smarts to survive.

In this gritty desert noir, petty thief Roberta “Bobbi” Torres is driving through the New Mexico desert when she attracts the attention of Sheriff Bilstein, a psychopathic small-town lawman who views his badge as a licence to prey on vulnerable women.

What begins as an apparently routine encounter quickly becomes a calculated campaign of intimidation and control. Isolated on an empty highway and far from anyone who might help her, Bobbi discovers that Bilstein is not enforcing the law—he is using it as a weapon.

Stripped of her phone, her car and eventually her voice, Bobbi is forced into a brutal game of cat and mouse across an unforgiving desert landscape. With no authority she can trust and nowhere left to run, she must rely on raw instinct, resilience and street smarts to survive—and reclaim her power in a place where the law has become another form of control.

Themes

What the Film Is About

Power and Authority

“At its centre, Blood Star is a story about power: who possesses it, how it is abused and what happens when the person charged with protecting you becomes the person you most need protection from.” The film confronts the coercion, misogyny and institutional protection that allow predators to operate—Bobbi is not a conventional, uncomplicated victim, but flawed, resourceful and angry.

The Desert as Antagonist

“The desert was essential to the film. It appears vast and open, yet offers nowhere to hide.” The landscape creates the illusion of freedom while making Bobbi completely visible and dangerously isolated. The road, traditionally a symbol of escape, becomes a controlled corridor through which Bilstein can pursue her.

Erasure and Reclaiming Voice

“More than a desert chase film, Blood Star is a story about erasure—the psychological, emotional and literal theft of a woman’s voice—and the fight to reclaim it.” Her survival does not come from suddenly becoming fearless; it comes from refusing to be erased.

Lawrence Jacomelli, Writer and Director

Production

Production Details

TitleBlood Star
Year2024
GenrePsychological thriller · Road thriller · Survival horror
Running Time97 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom / United States
LanguageEnglish
WritersVictoria Taylor, Lawrence Jacomelli and George Kelly
ProducersLawrence Jacomelli, Victoria Taylor and Zaina Taibi
CinematographyPascal Combes-Knoke
EditorRoss Evison
Original MusicFelix Lindsell-Hales

Blood Star was filmed in the California desert in just ten principal photography days, produced largely from the United Kingdom and shot using three cameras with the entire film pre-visualised as a 70-minute animatic before production began.

Festivals

Festival History

2024Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival — World Premiere, Switzerland
2024Grimmfest — UK Premiere, Manchester
2024Molins Horror Film Festival — Spanish Premiere
2024Splat!FilmFest — Poland
2024Fantasy Filmfest — Germany
2025Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival — US Premiere, California

Credits

Full Credits

Cast & Filmmakers

Full biographies for Britni Camacho, John Schwab, Lawrence Jacomelli, Victoria Taylor and the rest of the cast and creative team.

VIEW CAST & FILMMAKERS

Complete Cast & Crew

The full, official cast and crew list for Blood Star, as credited on IMDb.

VIEW ON IMDB

Blood Star is now available to stream, rent or buy in selected territories.