When we think of vampires, we think of the undead image created by actors like Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee. Older, prominent gentlemen sexually abusing young women. What’s fascinating about this image – and about vampires in general – is its appearance, which is simultaneously seductive and threatening. Meanwhile, however, the blood-sucking figures of darkness are much more diverse. Not only ‘Twilight’ did this, but also ‘Near Dark’, ‘Interview with a Vampire’, ’30 Days of Night’ and, well, ‘Morbius’.
One of the most interesting representatives of vampire cinema: ‘So dark the night’ by ‘Queen, King, Ace, Spy’ creator Tomas Alfredson. The Swedish horror drama about an unequal friendship was almost universally celebrated, not just by global critics. It’s also a poignant variation on the classic vampirism motif. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you can catch up on Freevee. This is Amazon’s free streaming service that you can watch without a Prime Video subscription. You just have to be prepared for some advertising here and there.
That’s what ‘So Dark the Night’ is about
Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is a withdrawn twelve-year-old boy who is not having an easy time at school. Here he is severely harassed by his classmates and has no one with whom he can communicate in any way. The sensitive blonde boy devises cruel revenge plans in his head, but never finds the courage to put them into action. But when he meets the mysterious Eli (Lina Leandersson), his life changes.
The girl, whom he only meets after sunset and without winter clothes despite the cold, seems to have a kindred spirit. But the pale Eli with the sad eyes, who lives with her supposed father in the apartment next door, is a vampire and is driven by her hunger for human blood…
Coming-of-age meets horror
In the official FILMSTARTS review, “So Dark the Night” received a strong 4 out of 5 possible stars. In addition, the vampire drama also ended up at the bottom of our ranking of the best horror films of all time. Two more than good reasons to watch this special film. Especially if you’re tired of classic or glittering leeches. The conclusion of the criticism by our author Ulf Lepelmeier is therefore:
“’So Dark the Night’ is a reality-based vampire film about loneliness, friendship and loyalty, more interested in the psyches of its child protagonists than in the specific characteristics of Dracula’s offspring. The film captivates with its piercing, melancholic atmosphere and its leading actors, who make the story of two wounded souls something special.”
If you like: ‘So Dark the Night’ is the melancholy-depressive answer to the stories of writer Astrid Lindgren (‘Pippi Longstocking’, ‘Ronja the Robber’s Daughter’, ‘We children from Bullerbü’). The vampire drama, which is also set and produced in Sweden, is characterized by the greatest possible understanding of the emotional worlds and ways of thinking of children, but there is not much happiness to be found here. In fact, ‘So Dark the Night’ is also based on a novel. The book of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, became a bestseller in 2004.
The fact that ‘So Dark the Night’ represents something special in the vampire genre is because the film constantly focuses on the perspective of its childlike, youthful protagonists. In this way, Tomas Alfredson unleashes a directing density that cannot be avoided. The snowy landscapes and desolate apartment buildings underline the basic atmosphere of “So dark that night”. Here the audience is treated to an almost austere vampire film that is not scary or bloody, but rather tells about loneliness and sadness. A melancholic outsider drama that does not shy away from violence, but at its core is wonderfully gentle, attentive and with great actors it emphasizes how terrible it can be to be a child. And how important it is to have friends.