Blood Work

R

Released Aug 9, 2002

1 hr. 51 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

52%

152 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) was hot on the trail of "The Code Killer" when a heart attack put him out of commission. A heart transplant later, Terry spends his time in the harbor on his houseboat -- that is, until he starts to investigate the facts surrounding his transplant. His donor was a murder victim, and the murder is still unsolved. With the help of his seaside neighbor, Buddy (Jeff Daniels), and over the protests of his doctor, Terry reopens the case.

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Critics Consensus

Blood Work is a routine, but competently made thriller marred by lethargic pacing.

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Ola G

During a federal investigation into a local homicide, FBI Special Agent Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) goes outside to address the media, but spots the so-called "code murderer" in the crowd. He chases the man and wounds him, but the chase ends when McCaleb suffers a heart attack. Two years later and now retired, McCaleb lives in a houseboat on the Long Beach bay. He receives a second chance at life with a heart transplant. He is approached by Graciella Rivers; her sister, Gloria, was murdered during a robbery and she asks him to solve the case. He discovers that the heart transplanted into him was Gloria's. He has nightmares of the robbery during which Gloria was murdered. McCaleb, against the advice of his physician, decides to find the real murderer with the help of houseboat neighbor Jasper "Buddy" Noone (Jeff Daniels) and local police detective Jaye Winston... "Blood Work" received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes, saying it was "a routine, but competently made thriller marred by lethargic pacing." However, A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote while it was similar to many Eastwood films, "there is something comforting in seeing this old warhorse trot gamely out of the gate for yet another run on familiar turf." (Via Wikipedia) "Blood Work" is hardly amongst Clint Eastwood´s better films if you ask me. I saw it when it came out but had forgotten about my opinion about it. It's a sloppy film, ridiculous at times, wobbly acting from all involved, unengaged setup, several silly and also strange scenes, Eastwood on autopilot, no feeling of authenticity in the film, Paul Rodriguez and Dylan Walsh cops being some sort of silly comic relief that doesn´t work at all and it's clear that Eastwood directed this film with his left hand and as fast as he could. Pass this one coming from a truly big fan of Clint Eastwood. Trivia: The film was not a box office success, grossing $31.8 million worldwide on a budget of $50 million. (Via Wikipedia)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/24

Full Review

GM M

Very good, with real heart.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/03/23

Full Review

Lee H

Better than scores here reflect. Once Jeff Daniels is exposed his acting chops really shine. Not gonna win any awards but definitely worth watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

Brian P

Terrible movie that gives the feel of a a high-school Halloween writing project. I mean the bad guy writes "No One" in blood on walls and it turns out his last name is "Noone." Ugh…that just makes me angry.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/22

Full Review

r 9

Good entertainment. I like the plot of 'Blood Work'. I'm unsure if it would hold up if you went through with a fine-tooth comb, but it certainly gave me the required enjoyment levels. Clint Eastwood gives a sturdy performance, as do Jeff Daniels and Wanda De Jesus; elsewhere on the cast, neat to see Anjelica Huston and Rick Hoffman, Louis Litt himself, appear in smaller roles. It's not as unpredictable as it perhaps thinks it is, due to the casting more than anything, but I had a fun enough time with it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Liam D

A predation but fine film This Thriller is a okay movie but I would check it out again

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/21

Full Review

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Clint Eastwood

Terry McCaleb

Jeff Daniels

Buddy Noone

Anjelica Huston

Dr. Bonnie Fox

Wanda De Jesus

Graciela Rivers

Tina Lifford

Jaye Winston

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Disappointing, predictable, and graphic.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 22, 2010

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Typically for Eastwood, there are modest touches to savor.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Very silly: sometimes almost enjoyably so, often just in a tired way.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 20, 2003

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Mediocre crime pot-boiler from Clint Eastwood in actor-director mode.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 20, 2020

Full Review

Peter Canavese

Groucho Reviews

This vehicle—the cinematic equivalent of a supermarket paperback—plays like the best-ever episode of Matlock rather than a truly distinguished feature film. [Blu-ray]

Rated: 2/4

Jun 4, 2012

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

The pivotal teaser is a numerical code that baffles experts but gets cracked in one curious gaze by a schoolboy.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) was hot on the trail of "The Code Killer" when a heart attack put him out of commission. A heart transplant later, Terry spends his time in the harbor on his houseboat -- that is, until he starts to investigate the facts surrounding his transplant. His donor was a murder victim, and the murder is still unsolved. With the help of his seaside neighbor, Buddy (Jeff Daniels), and over the protests of his doctor, Terry reopens the case.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Executive Producer: Robert Lorenz
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland, Michael Connelly
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Malpaso Company
Rating: R (Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 9, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2009
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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