Director: Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson and Gaukur Úlfarsson
Year: 2020
Country: Iceland
Alternate Titles: Þorsti
Genre: Vampire; Horror/Comedy
Plot:
Having just been interrogated by the police, a woman accused of killing her brother but is forced to be let go is confronted by a savage vampire who takes a liking to her plight and tries to save her when her actions bring about the attention of a doomsday cult trying to spark the end of days.
Review:
There was quite a lot to like with this effort. One of the best aspects here is the manner in which this one goes for the meetup between her and the vampire which brings them together to start their journey. Having already been wanted by the police for the brother’s murder, getting that distrust going and the concern for her behavior to continually be innocent of the crimes is a fantastic start to where the two intersect. Getting attacked by the thugs and the way he saves her afterward brings about their relationship together which is handled nicely with the slow ease with which they begin hanging out together and spending more time together which offers a nice bit of uncomfortable humor to their confrontations.
That uncomfortableness is another big plus here in association with all the comedy featured here. With the idea of him trying to be accepting and acclimating not only to a human but a woman being that he’s gay, it adds a wholly unique bent to their relationship as it’s quite unexpected and goes in a slightly different direction than what would usually be featured here. As well, the more traditional comedy here from the infuriated policeman who continually has to put up with the smart alec quips made by the other officers or even the jokes about the sexual hang-up that the bumbling patrolmen got into when confronted by the main vampire has a lot to like and laugh at as well.
The last plus here, which carries over from the comedy, is the over-the-top action and gore on display. From the pre-credit attack in the car with the severed member coming into play, the practical effects here are fantastic with the best being the attack in the alley as the one has their head pulled apart in a huge geyser of blood flowing everywhere and the second victim impaled and spurting in a huge mess. Other scenes, from the attack at the mothers’ house to the victim being fed to the vampire in the graveyard, it all sets the stage for the grand finale where they confront the cultists and their diabolical plans in a spectacular bloodbath of ripped appendages, stabbings and slices that give a ton of splatter. Overall, these create a lot to like about.
There are a few issues featured here. The main problem is the films’ revelation about what the cult is actually doing which comes so late in the film that it’s nearly impossible to tell what they’re trying to accomplish. With so many cryptic conversations between the married couple involved about how things are going and the daughters’ arrival which results in some more cryptic messages that just seem to be excuses for things to keep going as they are without filling in the blanks. It stands out as a result, much like the laughably inept main girl who doesn’t really do much until the finale as she just seems to stand around watching everything. She doesn’t do much and isn’t a really important factor in the story based on what she does, which lowers this one just enough but has plenty to like about it.
Overview: ****/5
A generally fun and enjoyable over-the-top comedic take on the genre even with some big problems, this one manages to get plenty to like about it and will be quite enjoyable to fans of that style. Give it a look if you’re a fan of the over-the-top genre fare, curious about the films’ origins or just appreciate this kind of style overall, while those who are turned off by the flaws should heed caution here.
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