While not a fan of the genre ,this Vampire film was different, in that there was a gritty 21st century suburban realism brought to the genre. Parallels with addiction and mental health issues are very prevalent in this film which is shot in the sickly half light of an addict looking to score, it is as if Trainspotting had met the Vampire movie and had a kid which was raised by Ken Loach and this movie is the result. Not many vampire movies show the vulnerability of their protagonists or show them pissing or struggling with the electricity bill. Ruaridh Aldington gives a very nuanced believable portrayal of Thomas, the struggling 20 something graphic artist wannabe living with his Mum who is wonderfully brought to life by Angela Dixon. Madeline's Bellariu Ion portrays the reluctant Romanian predator trapped by her own condition, again more allegory, in a very sexy but scary way and Craig Conway's John brings relieves the tension with down to earth comedic skills as the sarcastic Northern boyfriend of Thomas's mother. When he says "welcome to the horror show" referring to the unaffordabilty of modern life in London we all get that. Kenton Lloyd Morgan adds to the grimy realism with his portrayal of homeless man on the streets. Peter Stylianou has written and edited a film about 21st Century London where the protagonists just happen to be Vampires. Sean Cronin and he have crafted a vampire movie for grown ups with a nod to the pitfalls of youth and the clubbing world in an urban environment. Daniel Patrick Vaughan's chiaroscuro lighting gives the ambience of what it should feel like to be a vampire in contrast to the bright colours of Hammer and Amicus productions of the 60's and 70's . Stylianou's script revises the vampire myth to the point of pisstake where Rhea, Bellariu Ion's character screams when the sun shines on her, and then bursts out laughing to let us realise that what we have believed about Vampires all this time, that they die if exposed to sunlight, is a myth, perhaps referencing the myths we believe about Eastern Europeans or indeed all foreigners . Then he has her saying that her and her husband moved to London because of the cloud. While making all these socially relevant points the Cronin and Stylianou never drop the pace of the film or the suspense or horror. It is after all a Vampire film, but one with a new more realistic bite.
