After an accidental death, a woman decides to dispose of the body instead of going to the police. The guilt begins to eat away at her. As she continues to make rash decisions, the life she has built for herself and her son crumbles around her.

Director/writer Matthew Pope and co-writer Don M. Thompson both make their feature-film debut with Blood on Her Name. The film opens in the seconds after the accidental murder. We are immediately introduced to Leigh, the owner of the auto garage where the murder happened. As the shock wears off, we see Leigh make the unfortunate decision to clean up and hide the body instead of calling the police. We don’t know why this murdered happened, who the man is, or why she decides to get rid of the body. The answers to the many mysteries behind the man’s death are revealed slowly and methodically, making each revelation more surprisingly than the last. The film also shows how each decision Leigh makes, while dripping with good intentions, ultimately makes her situation more and more dire. For the most part this method of storytelling will hold the interest of audiences and delivers a fascinating mystery, yet there are some areas where the pace seems to drag a bit.

The filmmakers make an interesting decision to never actually show the murder. While gore lovers will likely be disappointed by this, I think it helps to set up Leigh as an unreliable storyteller. We see everything from her point of view. By not showing the murder itself we are forced to believe her ever changing story of events. This also makes the trickle of truths all the more shocking.

Blood on Her Name is carried by strong performances from a talented cast. Bethany Anne Lind (Doom Patrol, Ozark) stars as Leigh. This woman is hardworking and cares deeply for her son. Not only does Lind perfectly convey the turmoil Leigh goes through after the murder, but she shows how this character tries so hard to escape the legacy of her father and ex-husband. Will Patton (Swamp Thing, Halloween) delivers a strong performance as Leigh’s father, Richard. Richard is a local cop, but he clearly isn’t the cleanest man in law enforcement. Lind and Patton play off of each other very well, especially in the more tense conversations. We watch a daughter who would rather avoid communicating with her father forced to seek out his help, and a father who wants to solve his daughter’s problems in ways she doesn’t agree with. It creates a very tense dynamic between the two characters, and it makes watching Leigh’s attempt to break the cycle she’s known her entire life even more compelling.

The film has a griminess to it that compliments both the plot and setting. Colors are dull and lack vibrancy, and everything looks dirty. It matches the rural setting and the lives the characters lead in Blood on Her Name. This relatively monochromatic look also appears to further Leigh’s POV. To her, the world she lives in is grey and unhappy, so it makes sense the film would fit in with her POV.

Blood on Her Name is a compelling noir thriller from the point of view of an unreliable protagonist. Lind plays Leigh perfectly as we follow her story and try to determine what really happened and why she makes the choices she does. While the film has a tendency to meander a bit, there is still a definite storytelling skill that shows promise for both Pope and Thompson. Blood on Her Name is a great first feature film that will make critics and audiences take note of these filmmakers and what they do in the future.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10