Director: Chris Schwab
Year: 2026
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Vampire
Plot:
After taking in a strange patient, the staff at an insane asylum try to help him overcome a series of strange afflictions that he seems to display, and as the owner starts to focus on a neighbor with slightly similar problems fails to spot the real threat lurking around the facility.
Review:
For the most part, this was a pretty solid enough idea. The majority of the positives here come from the immensely creative approach to the classic story that attempts some clever twists alongside some fun expansions of the original formula. Taking the course of the main story where the psychotic assistant is admitted to the facility and starts to get treatment for an obviously unhinged self, the idea of his rantings and ravings and general behavior not being taken seriously as warnings about what’s coming to the facility gives this part a solid bit of familiarity to account for several slight changes that take place. The female characters being replaced by a woman and her daughter now fill in those gaps in the story so that the daughter’s unnatural behavior, from her outbursts to the sleepwalking out into a crowded street that signals something is happening to her, comes together with the kind of built-in legacy honoring what’s happened in the past, with more intriguing aspects due to these changes.
Later sequences, especially with the few glimpses we get of the vampire count running around that highlight the kind of genre fare this really is, give this a lot to like while also highlighting the few slight drawbacks on display. The stylish attack and seduction sequences make this feel genuinely eerie and unsettling, alongside the generally thrilling conclusion about the vampire count being brought to America the way this portrays it. These changes are given a lot of leeway to work their way into generating a strong sense of fear throughout here, and while it works incredibly well at doing that, it does highlight that small drawback of keeping the count so infrequent on-screen that it’s possible to forget he’s even involved. Rather than being a constant presence threatening others or making his presence known, there’s hardly anything happening here with the vampire for large stretches, to the point where it’s possible to forget he’s even involved, despite how much this still plays with the familiar story for those looking for constant vampire action, which can hold this down.
Overview: ***.5/5
An intriguing enough take on the story, there’s a lot to like here that manages to feature some intriguing elements that are fun additions to the fable, which may or may not appeal to all viewers. Those with an interest in this format or who are curious about the story adaptation will have a lot to like here, while most others out there should heed caution.
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