Without Blood movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Without Blood

This dramatic film directed by Angelina Jolie opens in theaters on September 18, 2026.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1h 31m

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

Featured Product About This Movie:

The movie is based on: Without Blood: A Novel by Alessandro Baricco

You can buy a copy of Without Blood on Amazon at:

https://amzn.to/4xBJzwP

IN A NUTSHELL:

Written and directed by Angelina Jolie and adapted from Alessandro Baricco’s acclaimed novel, Without Blood is an intense, philosophical revenge drama set in the aftermath of an unnamed early-20th-century war, possibly in Mexico. Decades after a brutal raid on a remote farmhouse destroyed her family, Nina tracks down Tito, the last surviving attacker, at his lottery kiosk. What follows is a tense, quiet confrontation over a table where two trauma-scarred souls attempt to make sense of memory, brutality, forgiveness, and healing.

Already, the film has been nominated for the “Cinema for Peace” award for the Most Valuable Film of the Year. Congratulations to Angelina Jolie for writing and directing the movie.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Violent gunplay, graphic shootings, and intense blood depiction during flashback scenes.
Heavy psychological trauma, emotional distress, and grief.
Mature themes exploring murder, vengeance, war atrocities, and retribution.
Profanity, including 1 F-bomb.
Young children will be completely bored because it’s mostly an “adults talking” movie.

THEMES:

The Inescapable Long Shadow of War: How physical conflicts end, but internal battles rage on for decades.
Vengeance vs. Reconciliation: Exploring whether true closure comes through retribution or human connection.
Perspective and Innocence: The blurring of clear lines between “good” and “evil” in times of tragedy.
Revenge
Childhood trauma and loss of innocence

THINGS I LIKED:

Deeply moving, career-high dramatic performances from Salma Hayek Pinault and Demián Bichir. They are both fantastic. This is their third film collaboration together.
Kudos to the rest of the cast who also did a great job: Juan Minujin, Luis Alberti, Mario Zaragoza, Andres Delgado, and Patricio Jose.
The striking, poetic cinematography by Seamus McGarvey captures both brutal violence and quiet intimacy.
Angelina Jolie’s steady, patient direction relies on tension, silence, and emotional depth rather than cheap thrills.
The movie was filmed in gorgeous Italy. I adore Italy! That being said, the identity of the country at war in the past is never disclosed.
While we definitely see blood in the brutal acts of Act 1, the title refers to two adults with connected childhood trauma who no longer have any living blood relatives, yet still live with the consequences of a former war in their lives.
The anticipation of a meeting is intriguing, as well as watching it finally unfold.
Kiss or kill…the ending is deliciously ambiguous.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The heavily dialogue-driven, single-table setup in the present timeline can feel stage-bound or overly deliberate for some viewers.
The deliberate ambiguity of the setting and non-specific war context may leave history buffs wanting more concrete grounding.

FUNNY LINES:

(Note: Given its somber focus on trauma and war reconciliation, the film strictly maintains a serious tone with no intentional comedy or humor.)

INTERESTING LINES:

“I know who you are, and I know why you’ve come.” — Tito (Demian Bichir)
“The winner decides when the war is over.” – Salinas (Juan Minujin)
“It’s not my story; it’s yours.” – Tito (Demian Bichir)

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Dr. Trina Boice is a university professor, author of 36 books, professional author coach, YouTuber, podcaster, film critic, and mom of 4 awesome sons.