Blood Father (2016)

An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 17-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.

Director:

Jean-François Richet

Writers:

Peter Craig (screenplay by), Andrea Berloff (screenplay by)

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Link
Erin Moriarty	...	Lydia
Diego Luna	...	Jonah
Michael Parks	...	Preacher
William H. Macy	...	Kirby
Miguel Sandoval	...	Arturo Rios
Dale Dickey	...	Cherise
Richard Cabral	...	Joker
Daniel Moncada	...	Choop
Ryan Dorsey	...	Shamrock
Raoul Max Trujillo	...	The Cleaner (as Raoul Trujillo)
Brandi Cochran	...	Lydia's Mother
Katalina Parrish	...	Link's Client
Cameron Cipta	...	Freckles
Lucien Dale	...	Blonde Boy

Storyline

Self-exiled somewhere in the dusty landscapes on the outskirts of Los Angeles, John Link--a rugged former convict, and now, a tattoo artist struggling to stay sober--sees his quasi-orderly life turn upside down, when he receives a desperate phone call from his estranged daughter, Lydia. On the run from a ruthless Mexican drug cartel, John and Lydia must navigate through a dangerous world of frail allegiances and merciless cut-throats, as they seek shelter in an inhospitable city. Can the grizzled father save his teenage daughter from this nightmare?

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | father daughter relationship | on the run | religious faith | religious belief | 

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Taglines:

A Father Makes His Own Justice

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language throughout and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 August 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sangre de mi sangre

Filming Locations:

New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Why Not Productions,Wild Bunch

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie Lydia is watching in the theater, is Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), which was directed by Jean-François Richet.

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Goofs

A missing person poster lists Lydia's year of birth as 1996, yet the character is described as being 17 years old in 2016.

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Quotes

Link: No, no, there's no winning or losing.
Link: You either want to wake up in the morning or you don't.
Link: And if you can't find a way to live with yourself well then, why run? why come to me? why do any of this?
Lydia: I don't wanna die.
Link: What was that?
Lydia: I don't wanna die.
Link: That's right.
Link: You don't wanna die.
Link: Because you're a 17 year old kid and you've got a lot to live for.
Link: You may not want to wake up tomorrow but the day after that, might just be great.
[...]

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Connections

References The Godfather (1972)

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Soundtracks

Turn Tha Amp Up
Performed By AD
Written By Ali Dee,Joey Katsaros (as Joseph Katsaros) , Alex Rubin And Zach Danziger
Courtesy of Dee Town Entertainment
Under License by Format Entertainment

User Reviews

Mel Gibson unleashes hell

I love it when Mel Gibson is in his Mad Max Lethal Weapon Braveheart Patriot mode. The character and the performance you see in BLOOD FATHER is something that Gibson often returns to from time to time. The tortured soul, protective of his loved one, willing to unleash hell when necessary. BLOOD FATHER is hardcore. A merciless story of retribution.

Directed by Peter Craig, Mel Gibson plays an ex-convict and former alcoholic named John Link who's trying his best to keep it together . Until one day when his estranged daughter comes back into his life but with a big secret, turns out, the drug cartel is hunting her down, a situation that forces Link to use his past connections and his skills to keep his daughter alive.

Much of the film is set in the desert, so one can't help but make a stretched comparison to Mel Gibson's old days as Mad Max. The best way to describe BLOOD FATHER in a way that today's audiences would understand is that Gibson's character, John Link, is more or less kinda like Liam Neeson's character in "Taken" franchise, but with less resources and Link is more rough around the edges. But both characters would go above and beyond for their respective daughters.

BLOOD FATHER is a very straightforward film, it has that father-daughter drama, though not as strong or as powerful as such films as "The Wrestler," for example, but some of the lines do hit home, and the action is more about firepower and gunfights, very brute, very basic, but it gets the job done. Some might say BLOOD FATHER is predictable and I don't blame them, it is after all just one of those movies for us Charles Bronson fans who just want to see the bad guys ultimately get what they deserve, a satisfying punishment.

-- Rama's Screen --