It is easy to see why some may hate this film. It is different to any vampire film I have ever seen, but for me this makes it a gem. It has sought to evolve the vampire genre to a new level. The story grows gradually and the interpersonal dynamics in a vampire setting may be wasted on some while providing intrigue and depth that others will revel in. Add in the dark humour, oh, and did I mention an enchanting soundtrack and something tells me that its appeal has just widened.
Not the sulky superhuman vampire now so often now portrayed, but three dimensional characters with very real issues. Although there are some special effects the vampire theme was played down and the human aspects were played up. This gives it substance but may alienate those looking for gore and escapism. The cinematography, particularly impressive in places gave Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and truly existential look and feel.
The leading character Emily – portrayed a certain innocent naivety and vulnerability, while showing a tough side with bite. Sam is a deeper character but harder to read. Both performances reveal actors with a promise of more to come. The film is different because it echoes the lives of real people in contemporary Britain. Take powerful emotions and a dark humour, interleave these with topical issues that concern the undead and you are someway to understanding the triumph of originality that the writer and director has conjured.
The acting is frequently strong and the film espouses an original style that makes it stand out from the plethora of standard vampire theme offerings that flood the market. Very few films have come out of the North East of England. You can count them on half a hand. It has been a neglected area, frowned upon as under-achieving and suffering deprivation.
I hope that there are more original films like this to come and that dowdy image of the North East will be further challenged and finally defeated. This is Rob Burrows first film and the fact that it went straight into the cinema suggests that it has a substance to be reckoned with. I hope Rob stays in the North East to make many more. But then, looking at the talent he has found in abundance and the international acclaim already achieved with his first offering, why wouldn't he?