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Clint Eastwood is a Hollywood institution all on his own, having directed and starred in so many iconic films. A list of Eastwood’s best roles is bound to leave a few on the cutting room floor even though they’re definitely still worth a watch, and that’s the case with 2002’s “Blood Work.”

Eastwood directs the film based on Michael Connelly’s novel of the same name. Eastwood also plays the lead character of special agent Terry McCaleb, who’s a serial killer profiler who gets on a case where the murderer leaves behind taunting messages for him. It’s essentially Eastwood’s version of “Se7en,”
and honestly, it’s better than you might be thinking. It holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but plenty of critics had something nice to say about it, like the Austin Chronicle‘s Marjorie Baumgarten: “The movie is nevertheless enjoyable for its constant stream of lively characters and the delight in watching a man with a bad ticker but a good head go through his paces.”

Despite Eastwood leading an impressive cast that also includes Jeff Daniels and Anjelica Huston, the movie flopped when it came out. It only made $31 million worldwide, which is even worse when considering it cost $50 million to make. But if you can track it down, you might just discover a new personal favorite. 

Despite mixed reviews and a poor box office reception, there’s probably another reason why most folks don’t remember “Blood Work.” It came between two genuinely beloved Eastwood flicks. 

First, it arrived just two years after “Space Cowboys.” The film sees Eastwood alongside Donald Sutherland, Tommy Lee Jones, and James Garner as test pilots who are tasked with repairing an old satellite. Despite the “Space Cowboys” shoot causing some cast members pain, the film was a critical hit, sitting at a 78% Rotten Tomatoes rating. 

However, when cinephiles think of Eastwood’s body of work in the early 2000s, there’s only one film that comes to mind. After “Blood Work” bombed, Eastwood came back strong with 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby.” Clint Eastwood won an Oscar for Best Director, Hilary Swank won for Best Actress, and the film took home the biggest prize of the night by securing Best Picture. Such critical acclaim undoubtedly made people want to seek it out, so even though it only had a $30 million budget, it grossed $216 million to make it a success by every metric. All that after a Warner Bros. exec was hesitant to make “Million Dollar Baby,” thinking no one would want to watch it. 

There’s a reason why Eastwood is never short on work. Sure, he might crank out a film that gets middling reviews and loses money, but he’s proven time and time again that he can bounce back.