Director: Jason Hawkins
Year: 2022
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Vampire; Horror/Comedy
Plot:
After meeting up with a loan shark, a group of friends trying to get by making movies for a living learn they have to pay off their financier and go to their distributor to get the money they're owed, forcing them into a battle with flesh-eating vampires looking to keep their secret status from everyone.
Review:
This was a somewhat disappointing, if still watchable enough, genre effort. Among the more likable factors to be had here is the central setup that has some potential involved that could’ve worked well in some other feature. The fact that the group of friends are given a likable main gimmick of being genuine friends trying to make a living working on low-budget horror films despite having no money and needing to meet up with a loan shark to get the money to make them, only to then need to pay him off with the profits made from the distribution of the film and going to visit the group that owns the film to accomplish this, is a somewhat intriguing idea that has some fun at times. The first half, with the quest to get money for the film, the pre-production, and the actual filming itself, sets up the kind of setup where the trip to the house to get the money and encounter the slew of vampires inside makes this feel quite likable in the general idea of what’s going on as they have to make their way around a house filled with bloodsucking creatures bored with life and willing to entertain their feeble attempts at escape.
However, that brings up the first main issue here where the film just isn’t as enjoyable as it thinks it is. The first half just takes forever to get through, spending so much time on the idea of the group going through money troubles, trying to get their film cast and into production, the actual on-set filming, and the aftermath where its festival release brings it into the attention of the distribution company, where it’s added to their roster of other films. None of this is interesting, or all that closely tied into the main plot of what’s going on here since it’s got little in the way of horror elements at all, and the constant film-school references to other vampire films are just plain excruciating once the jokes have worn out the first few times. With this establishing the pace is slow and plodding early on, the second half is just as much so where the vampires’ comedic quips, ineffective commentary, and just barely threatening nature of what’s going on gives this just as much of a problem with lame comedy, no real sense of menace, or ineffective action that just moves from one setpiece to another without much happening, leaving this with a lacking overall tone.
Overview: **.5/5
An intriguing enough if somewhat flawed vampire effort, there’s enough to like here that it’s not a complete waste, but it does have some big enough issues to keep it down from what it could’ve been. Those with an appreciation for this style or approach, or who are big fans of the creative crew, will have a lot to like here, while most others out there should heed caution.
Comments
Post a Comment