Movies Reviews

Fright Night – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Aug 18, 2011, 12:51 GMT

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all going on: he\'s running with the popular crowd and dating the most coveted girl in his high school. In fact, he\'s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend. But trouble arrives when Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—but everyone, including Charlie\'s mom (Toni Collette), doesn\'t ...more

Colin Farrell maybe the hottest vampire that ever lived, or unlived.  Buff, romantically pale, dark eyed and seductive, he’s a Gothic dream / nightmare in the desert, in low slung jeans, a tool belt and T. and those looks! 

He has just moved in to an isolated Las Vegas suburb where the population is fluid and comings and goings aren’t out of the ordinary.   He’s Jerry, the local handyman whose messy, closed home is the talk of the neighborhood.  

Charley Brewster, (Anton Yelchin) who lives next door with his mother, has recently left the nerd world and become cool.  He’s a dude at school and dates the prettiest girl Amy (Imogen Poots).  He’s got it made.

This is why an intrusion into his life by Ed, a nerd from his past, to warn him about a vampire in the hood, is unwelcome.  Charley is concerned about his image and appearing with the hyper, bespectacled former friend.   And he writes off his story as nerd-gone-wild ramblings.  Ed begs him to help him kill it before they are killed, but Charley rebuffs him. 

Ed has painstakingly collected evidence after school friends went missing and is convinced Jerry’s undead and dangerous.   And before long Ed is missing.

Soon comes the dawn, and Charley starts thinking Ed might have been onto something.  He breaks into Jerry’s house and finds vampire paraphernalia and Jerry’s lover, imprisoned and covered in blood but still alive.   Charley spirits her out of the house in a daring daylight escape, only to watch her explode into a fireball.  Vampires don’t like sunlight.

Charley knows he must seek immediate assistance of Peter Vincent (Dr. Who’s David Tenannt), a spoofy Criss Angel Mind freak type, a Las Vegas black magic entertainer with a difficult disposition and a rare collection of rare religious anti-vampire artifacts and holy relics, including a spike blessed by St. Michael. 

Vincent’s website is the place to go for information on killing vampires, so Charley bursts in on him, demanding help.
   
Vincent clearly has something dark going on, and that museum in his Las Vegas stronghold, but he has sunk into a kind of celebrity ennui, and alcohol which, while he provides some comic relief, makes him pretty much useless. 

He refuses to look at Charley’s photos and evidence he’s gathered on Jerry, and soon we learn the reason why, He has an axe to grind concerning the undead.

The pacing is stellar; you can’t take your eyes off the screen for missing a moment because something significant is always just around the corner. 

The tensions build organically in a beautifully realized arc. It dispenses with the repeating shock gore of today’s horror films and looks to the past for the slow build towards a gripping and satisfying conclusion.

An experienced cast, some from the theatre, help elevate what could have been a camp disaster into a thoughtful, dramatic whole, where there are no unintended laughs, snickers or boos.  Character counts as much as the events and they achieved the right balance. 

The cinematography is outstanding, shot in a moody desert scape which surrounds the suburb, much of it at the golden hours of twilight and dawn.  The vast, natural edges of the natural world contrast beautifully with the hard edged cement suburban landscape. 

So it is beautiful to look at, smart, makes sense and holds our attention.  How unusual for a horror thriller in 2011!  And it’s fun!

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35mm horror
Written by Marti Noxon, based on Tom Holland’s play and story
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Opens: Aug 19
Runtime:  120 minutes
MPAA: R
Country: US
Language: English