Sgt. Investigator Edi Sharp (Micha Marie Stevens) is saddled with another brutal homicide at the beginning of the new thriller BLOOD DRIED HANDS. If that were her only worry that would be enough. But she herself is pushing through some deep, dark trauma while attempting to maintain a marriage with her estranged husband Joel (Samuel French) and raising their young son. Writer, director, and co-star Jason Vandygriff pours his heart and soul into this serviceable thriller that is bogged down with far too much exposition for a taught procedural. There are some good things in it though that make the film worth consideration, including Vandygriff himself as the creepy killer, Finley Rawls who nearly steals the film.

Hayden Carey (Chance Gibbs) is the killer that Edi eventually pursues. At the beginning of the movie, we witness his handy work. It’s a great cold open with a nice brutal kick to it. We then follow Edi, and her life, her day at work and get a glimpse of her chummy relationship with Investigator Reece Collins (Jordan Walker Ross). After Hayden attacks and kidnaps a jogger, Taylor (Anna Pena) the plot really begins to kick in and we have a clear direction on how things might play out. Edi is at a loss and frustrated with the snail’s pace from the lab at the station. She decides to visit her most infamous capture in prison for insight on a killer’s mind. Finely Walls (Vandygriffis) is a child murderer who speaks with a creepy, feminine Southern lilt. He rarely accepts callers, but Edi is the exception. His input is cryptic saying that there’s “power in the blood.” Are we getting into paranormal themes? I will say that while this thread flirts dangerously close to the line between homage and imitation, it is potent.

BLOOD DRIED HANDS is a frustrating watch dotted with some genuinely effective sequences. The pace of the film is oppressively slow. Long pauses in scenes with heavy dialogue are used so often that they lose their impact, bogging things down. The movie is far too enamored with the tone that it is trying to capture instead of giving us any reason to feel that way.

The good news is that this film features not one, but two very good serial killer performances. Gibbs‘ Hayden is a brooding, self-loathing creature who wants nothing more than to be free from his compulsion to kill. He exudes a palpable sense of despair in every scene. Then there is Vandygriffis’ Finley Walls. The portrayal of Finley Rawls is on the level of D’Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket or The Cell. His bald monolithic stature paired with the syrupy sweet voice will make your skin crawl. These two are the main reasons to watch.

BLOOD DRIED HANDS is an ambitious procedural thriller that chases films like Silence of the Lambs and Se7en in the hopes of offering something new to the material. It doesn’t always work but when it does, you understand why the attempt was made. I want to see a prequel that follows the story of how Edi caught Finely Walls. Now THAT would be genuinely disturbing.