In today's world, there are two clans of vampires, the Vanished, who are traditionalists and who value patriarchism and strict hierarchical order above everything, and the Lobos, a free spirited group of vampires with a predilection for punk music and attire who mostly hang out in the punk rock club The After Dark, where they mingle with humans in a non-confrontational way.

Beth (Ashley Ballou) is a relative newcomer to the vampire lifestyle, which she has her problems with being essentially a good girl. She's caught up in the system of the Vanished, something which she doesn't enjoy, even though (or maybe because of) she's the current "favourite" of Vanished leader Vigo (David Heath). So when she, not at all the rebellious kind, voices her opposition to him, he as a punishment sends her on an espionage mission to The After Dark. Thing is, she has only recently met fellow vampire Jack (Danny Saxton) and found him more than a little nice, so when she meets him again and he gives her a tour of the club, she not only falls for him but decides she wants to stay with the Lobos, and she's welcomed in enthusiastically by their leader Dax (Sinn Bodhi). This though creates a problem as Vigo doesn't enjoy losing one of his flock, especially to the Lobos, so he rather risks a vampire war than to lose even a little bit of face ...

A cool take on vampire lore that actually manages to comprise a rather epic story that also includes its own world-building into a mere 70 minutes. So obviously this is driven by its rather quick pace, with much well-staged vampire action crammed into its running time, and while most characters remain a little sketchy because of that, they're nevertheless relatable - plus the film's well-cast and features quite a few lively performances. The directorial effort in the meantime is elegant if not overpowering, and makes a good job of juxtaposing the dangerous decadence of the Vanished with the gritty punk lifestyle of the Lobos. And all of this combines makes rather cool genre cinema for sure.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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