Blood From Stone (2020) — an old phrase meaning something impossible to achieve — successfully builds a layered crime thriller crossed with a romantic melodrama that portrays both the melancholy existence of an immortal life as well as the humanity that still lingers within one of cinema’s most lethal killers. If Blood From Stone has anything going for it, it is that it is unlike the typical Hollywood vampire flicks, with it being devoid of action and instead honing in on the drama, though there is still lots of blood flowing through the film’s frames.

Blood From Stone stars former Serbian MMA fighter Vanja Kapetanovic and Hungarian actress Gabriella Toth as Jure and Darya, two star crossed vampire lovers caught in a tumultuous relationship. When Darya escapes to a desert city to start a “normal” life as a Casino bartender, Jure follows his vampire bride, only to end up going on a bender and leaving drugs, empty bottles of expensive vodka, and dead bodies in his wake. With the sudden string of murders capturing the attention of local law enforcement, Jure and Darya must come to terms with their toxic relationship in order to survive in the modern world while being relics of the past.

I found Blood From Stone to be somewhat similar to Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) in style, pacing, and premise, complete with a mostly indie rock soundtrack as well. Blood From Stone had the same languid and slow unfolding of present-time events that illuminated a deep and storied past for these vampires. Like Only Lovers… Blood From Stone‘s storyline had, at its center, a romantic entanglement between two vampires, and then eventually, a third vampire is introduced to both liven up the plot and act as a counter-balance in vampiric mannerism. Furthermore, though Blood From Stone did not have the artistic eye of Jim Jarmusch and his flair for painting-like framing, Blood From Stone was still well-directed, and overall, felt like a quality film.

The only thing not enjoyable about the film was its long runtime. At just a few minutes shy of two hours, the repetition of Jure’s frenzied vampire feedings and the unnecessary-to-the-plot conversations with soon-to-be-victims made the movie feel tedious at times. Perhaps editing 15 minutes out would have made for a more enjoyable viewing, trimming the fat of the aforementioned superfluous aspects of the film. Otherwise, it is an interesting entry into vampire cinema, another love story written in blood and fangs, except it takes place beneath the bright city lights of a casino-laden city, rather than hiding its vampires in the shadows.

If you are looking for a well-rounded movie then this is it – Blood From Stone has horror, drama from inner turmoil and romance, a soundtrack that is good to vibe though perhaps missing the opportunity to introduce some crescendoing string instruments in scenes meant to have more anticipation building, and also quite possibly the most attractive vamps to hit the screens since True Blood.  Written and directed by Geoff Ryan, Blood From Stone is due for release to USA audiences on October 30th.

MOVIE RATING — 6.5 out of 10