I've been craving for a briljant vampire flick that can blow me away for quite some time now. What the fuck was available for us to watch the last few years? We had the mind-blowing 'Let the Right One In' and the shit-eating Twilight. It's been close to 3 years now that '30 Days of Night' showed up (which was fine) and it's been over a decade since Wesley Snipes made his entrance in the vampire cult. Is Stake Land thé movie to look forward to?
The story has all the potential, but excuse me if i postpone my verdict. First up...the story! It goes a little something like this: 'Martin' is your typical teenager untill the world collapses. A mysterious guy named 'Mister' saves Martin while the rest of his family becomes victim to the threat. And they'll face plenty more of those threats in various forms. Not just vampires (different kinds, nice idea) but also the locals act hostile. From looters to crazy believers, there's danger lurking everywhere.
So we follow Martin and Mister as they take on a journey to 'New Eden'. Neither of them is really talk active nor are they charismatic. But hey, look who's there! Danielle Harris.. I just can't get enough of her appereance on screen. We'll meet plenty of other people but still...when will someone stand out and grab me by the balls? I want sympathy and i want it now!
I have to admit that Mister, played by Nick Damici, is a cool character but there has to be something around him that makes it pop out even more. He teaches 'silent-Martin' how to fight and survive in general. But there's no real interaction going on. Which is quite vital in these type of road movies if you ask me. Wow, am i bashing 'Stake Land' already? Hold on, i must keep my positive on.
And there's plenty going on to be positive about. It's not a big budget movie, not even close, yet it never shows. It's really well-shot and the locations are spot on. They choose the right landscape, it's simple but very effective. Deserted roads, small towns (populated!) and encampments. It has the right vibe as it makes you believe that the world has been suffering for quite some time. It's threatening and it even dares to combine the horror with nice landscape shots.
The makeup department did a nice job on this one. Burned corpses are everywhere and the gore itself is never in a 'splattery-way' but kept pretty subtle, it fits the picture if you ask me. I never felt the urge for them to go over-the-top on those ugly bastards. It has an overal dirty feeling and that keeps the movie alive. What doesn't though, is the fake drama.
And boy is it fake... the music makes it even worse. Did they actually mean to be dramatic at some points? I can't believe it, it's out of place and totally unnecessary. Ah well, i'll get over it. I'm just happy that this is so well-made. It won't match up with the biggest vampire movies, but it sure as hell isn't the worst. It's enough to keep the fans satisfied, the passive and overall interesting storyline will keep you going and the action is perfectly dosed.
I'd definitely recommend this if you're not a splatter/action junkie, it's not worth your time if you're looking for those (mighty fine) ingredients. This land is all about the apocalyptic vibe and the journey it offers. Does that sound tempting? Check it out. If that doesn't sound tempting....have you heard of this movie named ''Twilight''?
Score: 81/100
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