Donors: Upgrade Your Lifestyle – review

Director: Omegia Keeys

Release date:2025

Contains spoilers

I wanted to like this, I really did. Based on a novel, written by R K Watts and edited by the director, and with the director creating a previous (55-minute) film in 2015 and a 2025 web series also (which this film seems to have been edited from), clearly they believe in their artistic vision. The basic photography was fine but, it just failed to make me care, plus it cut narrative corners and left whole swathes of narrative questions (which might be explained better in the web serial, given there is more running time), but this film edit should be able to stand on its own merits).

Donte Walker as Octavian

It starts with TV snippets based round Octavian (Donte Walker) vampire prince and heir to the Korvich coven. Octavian is the creator of the donor system – for around 100-years the vampires have been concerned about the self-destructive tendency of humanity and then, in 2005, there was a pandemic that threatened to wipe out humanity. There is a scene of a man dying, turning and then attacking his family, dusting when sunlight hits him – this suggests that the pandemic was turning people but what is clear is that the vampire population was (and still is) growing and they were known to humanity.

Tinesha Lynn as Nyla

The donor system, on the surface, feels a tad like Tinder for vampires. People go on the system to be introduced to vampires but it is inferred that the vampires chose their donors (not vice-versa) and the relationship is transactional (it is mentioned that vampires need blood and humans need money) and so perhaps less Tinder and closer to a prostitution data base. We meet Nyla (Tinesha Lynn) who has been on the system for some time without being picked (she is both a blood and sexual virgin it transpires). She is a disappointment to her family.

someone is spineless

She is picked by none other than Octavian, though she doesn’t know who he is, and they become very quickly romantically attached – the speed noted by characters in film. As such he goes too far and marks her (by passing some of his energy during feeding) as his – making the whole thing feels less than consensual. The main thrust of the film would seem to be their romance but is dealt with in short hand and at an undignified speed. This is so the film can look at politics and upheaval. Terrorist attacks against the donor system (an attack at a donor event, where there is a slaughter), hacking the computer system, flooding the streets with newborn vampires etc.

back in 1200AD

The primary problem was twofold. The film’s narrative failed to build this story and, I think unwittingly, expected you to immediately know who the players were without explaining them (at least not skilfully). The other problem was, because of the first issue: I didn’t care. I hate to say it, but the film was a chore to get through. They weren’t the only issues, however. For some reason, given that some of the players have more credits as stunt people than actors, the fight scenes were lack lustre. Also, if you are going to have a flashback to 1200 AD, in a dungeon, don’t have the stonework clearly wallpaper (a green screen probably was a better solution),

Phedra Syndelle as Six

Having mention the flashback, that was to create the armigers – 7 warriors (the main we meet is Six (Phedra Syndelle) who is shown as a kick ass, stoic warrior) – but we are told that they were genetically manipulated (and we are not told how that was achieved over 800-years ago) and so can daywalk, at least a little. But the cool warrior wasn’t enough to get me to invest in what I watched and, though I feel rotten for doing it, I can only give this 2.5 out of 10. It just wasn’t for me, perhaps it might be your cup of tea more.

The imdb page is here.

On Demand @ Amazon US

On Demand @ Amazon UK