Director: A.J. Ager
Release date: 2010
Contains spoilers
Some times things don’t turn out as you’d expect. As this started I was convinced I’d probably be writing a review of a film that was going to go into the Worst 100 Vampire Films. Honestly, it was (as I’ll explain) horrible. As things progressed, well the dialogue and acting are… I’ll get to that but… I was enjoying myself, this was infectious – there is no better word for it.
So what was wrong with it? Well, it started off (and bear in mind this might be a no-budget indie film but it was from 2010 and sold as a 2020 anniversary edition) with the most God-awful resolution that failed to disguise the blooming awful photography. The cinematography all the way through was bad. Juddering pan shots and lighting failures abound. We then move to the night and a car park.
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| the escort |
A woman stands in the car park and a car pulls up with two guys. She is an escort but they were expecting two – her friend bailed, she explains – and expecting milk maid outfits. Never mind, they suggest she gets in the car but she says she'll follow in hers. They convince her but she quickly changes her mind and so they pull guns and order her to get in. Suddenly they are being attacked by someone who moves too fast to see. One has his throat cut and the other, it looks like, part of his brain removed and chomped on by the vampire – Draven (Casey Ager).
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| injured |
He talks to the woman but sees she has an engagement ring and so kills her (he hates women that cheat). Another approaches, Fausto (Will Melendez), who has been sent to apprehend him for the vampire council. He has killed a council member’s (adopted human) son. If he comes quietly he may be spared with a 100 year internment. He pulls his gun, says the bullets have “splinters” and kills Fausto.
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| in daylight |
The next morning is special, as Draven has a gift no other vampire has. Once a year he can walk in the daylight and, on that day, he goes to a certain graveyard where a vision will set him a task – he actually has a title, the Redeemer, and later we discover that the one who turned him was the previous Redeemer and passed the gift to him. This year he discovers that he should save Simone (Sherelle Black). The trouble is that Simone was his (human) ex and she committed suicide two days before. However with his human sidekick Jinx (Matt Lynch) he sets about investigating (and discovers her body has been taken from the morgue).
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| A.J. Ager as Vincent |
Jinx is the brother of another of his girlfriends, from when he was human, and he’s promised Jinx that they will discover who her killer is – and that truth comes out during the film. However for the main story, Simone was pregnant – she claimed with Draven’s child. He believes otherwise as vampires are sterile. However, the blind vampire manipulating the situation, Vincent (A.J. Ager), believes that the redeemer can father a child and that by drinking the child’s blood – and that of the Redeemer – a vampire can become a daywalker.
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| Matt Lynch as Jinx |
So, I’ve mentioned the awful photography. The dialogue wasn’t great – there are only so many ways a script can reference goat copulation before it gets repetitive – and much of the acting amateurish at best. The pacing was off but… I enjoyed the film. I think it was primarily down to Casey Ager and Matt Lynch who may not be the greatest actors but were totally natural, bounced off each other and seemed wonderfully enthusiastic – and that enthusiasm was infectious.
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| Casey Ager as Draven |
Is this a great film – Hell no. Did I enjoy watching it – Hell yes. That sheer enjoyment raises this to a reputable 4 out of 10 for a film that should, by all rights, scored much less. The imdb page is here.
On Demand @ Amazon US
On DVD @ Amazon UK
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