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Synopsis: Orphaned Martin is taken under the wing of bad-ass Mister as they travel across vampire-ravaged America in search of the refuge known as 'New Eden'.

Aside from the fairly frequent jumps, scares and gore, Stake Land feels surprisingly subdued for a recent horror film. With its melancholic tone, ravaging of the religious right and focus on characters over action, the film succeeds in being a bit more thoughtful than many of its contemporaries. And don't go into this expecting sanitized, pretty-boy vampires a-la-Twilight. These monsters are old school to the core- more like zombies than modern takes on vampires; all ferocious snarls and messed up faces. With fairly few jumps or scenes that are likely to scare a grizzled horror fan, Stake Land is easier to recommend for its realistic world-building, mournful soundtrack and interesting, well-drawn characters.

Opening with Martin's voice-over as he introduces himself and his traveling companion, the enigmatic father figure and teacher, Mister, the film quickly flashes back to a vicious encounter between Martins family and the horrific vampires. Sticking with most of the rules of the vampire myth, it is soon established that stakes and sunlight are still useful in this tale of vamp vs human conflict. The pace is deliberately slow and the film painstakingly constructs a very authentic feeling vision of post-apocalyptic America. Guarded communities living in fear while supplies dwindle, drinking and sleeping together in packed bars until the sun rises and religious nutjobs taking over the wilderness to rape and murder as they please. It is this rendering of the Christian crazies that strikes the biggest false note in the story, feeling over-blown and too simple for the subtleties of much of the rest of the story and character drawing.

The cast are great, particularly Nick Damici as Mister who delivers a convincing performance with the familiar role of mean old git with a soft heart underneath. Kelly McGillis is barely recognizable as a constantly victimized nun (bet she must be wondering what happened to the days of getting jiggy with Tom Cruise in a Navy uniform) and the youngsters, especially Connor Paolo are good in their less demanding roles. It's particularly nice to see Danielle Harris still working, even if she has lost some of the spunk of her early appearance as Bruce Willis' daughter way back in The Last Boy Scout.

Jim Mickle should be applauded for his direction; the film works very well as a whole, with good performances from the cast, a bleak soundtrack and pacing that could have easily been spoiled by trying to appeal to a bigger audience. It is a brave movie; not overly rushed and taking its time to build to its understated climax. The action and horror are handled well and the villain is a right nasty piece of work that should stick in the memory.

The film is most memorable for its details of life after the vampires take over. The small communities that have popped up round the country feel realistic and lived in. A sense of community, of something we have lost to some extent in 2011 shines through and gives the film a nostalgic feel, as if the vampire apocalypse may help America return to a simpler, more caring time. The positioning of the cult of Christian crazies dropping 'bombs' on peaceful communities and their obsession with deliverance and the 'will of God' is the least subtle and most forceful of themes on display and does feel a little OTT in places but the journey of the characters and their encounters with ordinary folk ground the film and make up for its excesses in other areas.

Stake Land is a very well made film and can be enjoyed as a simple horror film but also as an experience of a post-apocalyptic society and the highs and lows of living in a world with a drastically reduce population.

Ever since the success of 28 Days Later back in 2002, the post- apocalyptic genre of films has been a crowded market with its fair share of successes and failures. Notable releases such as The Road and Zombieland have been accompanied by such misfires as Doomsday and I Am Legend that, whilst entertaining, ultimately failed to hit their mark. Stakeland is a brave and accomplished entry in Jim Mickle's career, and although there are only a handful of original ideas throughout the film, the ideas taken from other movies are handled with enough skill that they serve only to enhance the overall viewing experience. It must be said, some of the director's own ideas are fantastic and show a great potential for the future - a future that the ragged band of survivors we follow throughout Stakeland may not be able to enjoy.

After our protagonist is saved from a disastrous situation which leaves him as the sole survivor of his family, he is taken under the wing of his rescuer; the elusive 'Mister', whose similarities to Whistler from Blade appear to be more than pure coincidence. Together,they embark on a road trip that tests them to their very limits as they encounter a whole host of dangers and struggle to survive whilst roaming throughout North America, picking up a number of travelling companions on the way.

In a storyline not too dissimilar to The Mist, some surviving factions of humans believe that God has sent the vampires to punish humanity and it is these that pose almost as much danger to our band of travellers as the dangerous breeds of vampire that stalk them. These cults are a welcome addition to the film, enhancing the aspect of danger and providing the basis for some of the film's more memorable moments in a standout scene where a supposedly safe town is assaulted from the air.

The initially nameless main character - played brilliantly by Connor Paolo (the spitting image of a young Colin Farrel) - has his life turned upside down at the start of the movie, however, we do not get to see how the whole world initially turned upside down, and the cause of the vampire's origins is rarely touched upon. His story is told through countless monologues that overlay the fantastic imagery of sparse vistas and urban decay, creating a sense of scale that is far beyond what we see on the screen. Whilst the other characters we meet do not have enough time to develop fully, they all play an essential part in the story, and although some scenes could have been far more powerful if the audience were affected by their plight, the suspense was enough to keep me on my edge of the seat throughout.

There are few scares to be found in Stakeland but the overall sense of foreboding doom and the generous helpings of violence and gore should please the majority of horror fans. Anyone with even a passing interest in post-apocalyptic films will definitely take a lot from Stakeland and although it is not quite a genre classic, it will certainly become a cult favourite in a few years time.

If you like this, you will love these:

The Road, 28 Days Later, Near Dark, The Signal

People are turning into grotesque vamps. The remaining humanity survive in isolated communities or even as rumored cannibals. Mister (Nick Damici) is able to save young Martin (Connor Paolo) when his family is attacked by vamps. They are driving north. On the way, they rescue a nun Sister (Kelly McGillis) being hunted by two rapists. They are then captured by a dangerous religious cult leader Jebedia Loven. Mister and Martin escape leaving Sister behind. They continue north and take on pregnant Belle (Danielle Harris) and former marine Willie.

This is well-made considering its low budget. Director Jim Mickle concentrates on a dirty ugly dystopia. The characters are simple and well-drawn. It's not breaking new grounds but it's got good grit. There are also some good actors and familiar faces. It's dirty and harsh. The long rambling road trip may actually fit better as a TV show.

While I did enjoy this movie, I am by no means in love with it. To me it seems a bit like a modern True Grit mixed with I Am Legend. Bear in mind that's not a bad thing. I'm just using a reference to recent movies as a context. Although I will say that I am already a bit dismayed with the whole sub-genre of "Let's get to the last piece of unspoiled humanity by killing our way through zombies/vampires/what have you".

I like to think the film is really more about the bond that holds humanity together rather than killing vampires to get to some fabled promised land. Sure, killing bad guys is fun, but it's rather meaningless without knowing why the characters protect each other. I quite like the whole "Us against the world" feel of the film. To me the plot line was only so-so, but what really got my attention was the acting. Certainly not Oscar material, but everyone is just about perfect for their part. When all is said and done, I'd definitely recommend it for what it is...I just kind of wish it didn't have to be all about vampires.

"Stake Land" is a thought-provoking and well-executed vampire film that offers a fresh take on the genre. With its strong performances, atmospheric cinematography, and a compelling blend of genres, the movie stands out as a notable entry in the post-apocalyptic and horror genres. If you enjoy character-driven stories set in dystopian settings, "Stake Land" is definitely worth a watch.

The film's atmosphere is bleak and haunting, capturing a sense of desolation and hopelessness. The cinematography effectively captures the desolate landscapes, abandoned towns, and darkened forests, further enhancing the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The sparse use of music and sound design contributes to the overall sense of unease, creating a tense and foreboding ambiance throughout the film.

Stake Land is a dark vision of a post-apocalyptic America that stands out in a sea of formulaic look-alikes. In director Jim Mickle's world, creatures who blur the line between vampires and zombies are creeping northward toward the Canadian border and eating everyone in their path. This is no typical genre film, though, as the real story unfolds slowly and deliberately with surprises at every turn.

Nick Damici is "Mister," vampire hunter and mentor to orphaned teen Martin (Connor Paolo) as they fight "the vamps" on their trek to New Eden, a monster-free zone where humanity has staked a claim. But darkness is the real enemy here, as they only come out at night, of course. Then there are the cult groups who see the plague as a golden opportunity to spread their own unique brands of oppression.

A veteran film crew member, this is Jim Mickle's second feature as a director. He co-wrote the script with Damici, who stars along with Paolo, Danielle Harris (Belle), Kelly McGillis (Sister), and Michael Cerveris (Jebedia Loven). The production team includes genre icon Larry Fessenden.

Utilizing mostly exterior shots, Stake Land's look is appropriately dreary, grimy, and gray. The cool color palette of blues and muted earth tones enhance the dullness of life in this dying landscape. Each new stop along the way seems to shout, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." The viewer can almost smell the stench of death and feel the blood being drained, literally, from the victims' bodies. Ryan Samul's widescreen cinematography serves to punctuate the diminishing importance of the individual on this sad but still breathtaking landscape. Yes, there is still hope in them thar' hills.

The music masterfully matches the combination of horror and poignancy. Jeff Grace has composed a score that is a character unto itself. Like the best genre films, the soundtrack serves to telegraph only slightly the horrors to come without overpowering the narrative with heavy-handed cues.

Most of all, though, Stake Land is a character-driven coming-of-age tale. Mister is an effective father figure to Martin, whose past is a mystery but can be gleaned from the circumstances surrounding their unlikely relationship. Damici's Charles Bronson/Clint Eastwood works even in his slightly over-the-top characterization. Gruff yet tender when called for, violent yet gentle toward those he protects, Damici is pitch-perfect.

But it's Paolo's narration that leaves no doubt the story is being told from Martin's point of view. He struck me as someone to watch for in the midst of the darkness that is Snow Angels. In a film that is distinctly down, he provided most of the much-needed comic relief. He began his film career in Mystic River and played the young Alexander in the film of the same name. He's made nine feature films and numerous television appearances since the age of 12, including two highly acclaimed episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Paolo is perhaps best known as Eric on Fox's hit television show Gossip Girl.

This is clearly his biggest role to date and he's on screen from start to finish. Paolo is the heart and soul of Stake Land. Despite his growing attachment to Mister and increasingly violent encounters with the antagonists, his innocence and vulnerability are never abandoned. The film works largely because his performance is so authentic. With Stake Land, Paolo firmly plants his flag as a young leading man on the cinematic landscape.

Take The Road, I Am Legend, The Karate Kid, and The Forbidden Kingdom and put George Romero at the helm and you have Stake Land, a truly original horror film -- no small achievement in a genre that's currently populating local cinemas. Don't miss it. Its nightmarish images will stay in your mind long after the credits roll.

I checked out the IMDb rating for this before deciding to watch it at the cinema and decided it was worth a trip at 6.8, horror flicks rarely creep above 8 as they are generally poorly acted with little or no depth to the story. Not many scary films keep you gripped but this one hit the spot for me. The acting was generally very good, the sets first class and the story went at a nice steady pace with just the right amount of horror thrown in to keep you on your toes. If you enjoyed The Road you will love this as it makes you think, you find yourself putting yourself in the characters shoes and there are lots of subtle things in the movie where actions not words set the scene. If you are looking for a mindless blood fest or sexy vampires then give this a miss, if however you are looking for a horror film with an actual story and some decent acting then sit back and enjoy.

Jim Mickle, the director already made some flicks in the horror genre so he surely knows what he is doing. But this flick isn't only a straight forward horror flick. It has more to show us. The story goes way deep into the characters of the persons involved. And just when you think well it's becoming boring things go wrong again. The acting is also really good even that we don't have the big names, we do have Danielle Harris, the new scream queen. And let me say that the effects used are really okay. It's all about vampires but they are a mix between some kind of zombies and vampires. It's a simple use of make-up but it really works. It's a surprising flick with a lot of characterization, gore, suspense and good acting, made me think of The Road, so, one to see.

On the plus side, the site scout earned his money. Cold white-cloud breath, cliffs, tall grass, bare trees, peeling paint, rusty buses-- they all are well chosen and properly gritty, though one has to wonder why the characters didn't plunder by staying at a rich folks' empty mansion. My hat's off to whichever producer green-lighted the decision to film this in real out-of-the-way rural North America, not some back lot in Hollywood.

There was also a mildly clever plot device involving a helicopter. Y'gotta wonder, though, how they kept it fed with airplane-quality fuel when the entire nation couldn't seem to find a gallon of fresh paint.

Everything else, sadly, is uninspired dumbed-down copying from Zombieland: plot, titles, subplot, and characters. I'm listening to the film as I write this, and I have not heard one single line of dialog that was pithy. No one-liners. No surprises. No character development.

The film crew kept everything in focus, but never had an interesting angle...and that perfectly sums up the entirety of the film.

If you want a clever take on vampires, watch "Day Breakers". If you want interesting camera angles and a fun new direction in plot, watch "30 days of night". If you want darned fine acting, titles of incredible inventiveness, and a script so much fun that you'll break out a notebook and jot down half the dialog while your pencil shakes from your laughter, rent/buy "Zombieland" and invite your best friends if they promise to bring popcorn and pizza. Keep a notebook handy.

I saw this movie because I love post-apocalyptic movies. The idea of a world with less human beings meddling with it always looks enticing. Its the same reason why we take vacations in remote locations.

First thing you will notice about Stake Land is it looks great. I am not much familiar with the cast except Connor Paolo. The actors act naturally which looks great in a film such as this. The plot is simple. It is a story of survivors of a vampire epidemic. But its the execution of the plot which is why this movie is so good. The director knows what he can and cant do. 10 out of 10 for the director's efforts.

Lastly, I wont say its a different movie than the rest of vampire movies coming out these days. But Stake Land should be watched because it has the ability to suck you in its environment within the first 10 minutes. And trust me it never lets it go.

A very grim little movie that is quite good actually. Not as good as I hoped it to be, but still as dark and dirty as a movie with a low budget like this can be. Danielle Harris will be the most recognizable face for the horror aficionados, but the rest of the cast do hold up to the setting and the story.

Danielle of course has a handicap (if you want to call it that), which in most commercial movies is actually a good thing. What will that do for her here? You have to watch the movie to find out for yourself. But the road is plastered with quite a lot of obstacles, which are all photographed very nicely (cinematography is great then). If you can handle the somewhat slow pace of the movie, you will absolutely love it (for me, it was just OK to good).

"We die, or worse yet, we die and comeback." After the collapse of the US economy and a horrific vampire epidemic sweeps the country very few humans are left. Along with vampire hunter Mister (Damici), Martin (Paolo) decides to drive to Canada for safety. This will probably be a short review. The only way to explain this really is that this is a serious version of "Zombieland", only with vampires and not zombies. Both have a older and a younger man who travel together and kill bad guys. They meet a girl on the way who joins them. Only thing this is missing is a cameo by a big name star. Unlike "Zombieland" though this one went straight serious and horror, which isn't a bad thing really. Overall, not a bad movie, but I prefer the comedy one better. I give it a C.

Would I watch again? - Probably not, but it made me want to watch "Zombieland" again.

*Also try - Shadowland & Zombieland

Finally, a breathe of fresh air of vampire killing with a lots of blood involve! Just the way I like it. Even though Blade is one of mine all time favorites vampire hunters, the guy who plays Mister is so bad-ass fighting all the vampires one by one. The setting in this movie is surprisingly good for this underrated film. I didn't think it was boring at all because it kept moving in a good pace of having Martin narrate throughout the movie experience his new life with Mister. Now the vampires look great with no CGI crap involve, custom makeup that makes them look creepy as hell . You wouldn't want to miss this film, its great for people who love vampires!

8.3/10

The U.S. is a wasteland. It is the result of a vampiric plague that has seen the world overrun by vicious, blood-drinking beasts. When his family is butchered by one, young Martin (Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of mysterious and grizzled vampire hunter Mister (Nick Damici). Mister is already on a journey to travel across America and get to Canada, now known as 'New Eden'. The country is in turmoil from gangs, and the most notorious of these is the Brotherhood, a religious fundamental group who believe the vampires are a plague sent by God, led by Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris).

Vampires are so huge these days, especially amongst teeny-boppers and fantasy-addled women, that possibly the coolest supernatural creation has become redundant and non-threatening. The astronomic popularity of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and the inevitable films, along with Charmaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries that was later to become HBO's True Blood have take the edge and (sorry) bite out of the vampire myth. Stake Land's director Jim Mickle seems to be more than aware of this, as he has brought it back down to Earth, and has created a sobering and brutal apocalyptic vision, and a damn good film.

It's clear from the opening five minutes that this won't be an easy watch, as Martin goes into the barn where his family has just been murdered to search for the vampire. His torch flashes around, and he sees his mother dead and his father dying, and then, perched on a high beam, is the monster sucking on his baby sibling, whose limp body he then drops thudding to the ground. The vampires here aren't handsome and seductive, nor are they human. They are more like the undead from Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981).

If there's a complaint to had about the film, it's that there isn't much plot. It's basically watching the characters try and get from A to B. It's very much The Road (2009) with vampires. But what happens between A and B is so full-on that you won't really care too much, but you will need a strong stomach. Mister isn't the archetypal heroic hard man - his morals are very questionable, and his anger, eagerness and the pleasure he takes in killing is often unsettling. When Mister and Martin come across a Sister (Kelly McGillis) fleeing two Brotherhood rapists, he coldly slits one of their throats, and throws a stake into the other's back, leaving him to die a slow death. No punch-lines here.

Stake Land does for vampires what HBO's Game of Thrones has done for epic fantasy. It has brought it back down to Earth, creating an adult world where the realm is more reality than fantasy. By doing this, it gives a fresh perspective and a new respect for the fantasy genre, and rather than create a world we can get lost in, it engages us more by setting it very much in our world. Stake Land won't be for everybody - it's moody, devoid of humour, and often relentlessly depressing and nasty. But it's also very much about family and loneliness, and spends a lot of time focusing on the father-son relationship between Martin and Mister, and is done so well it is actually extremely moving in some places. Refreshing, then, and shows there is plenty of life in the vampire genre yet.

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When a pandemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Large cities are left as tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearing nightfall.

Roget Ebert says, "Jim Mickle... has crafted a good looking, well-played and atmospheric apocalyptic vision." Quite true. The visuals are what sell this film, as even the vampires have a unique, gritty and terrifying look. And while the end of the world has been shown many times, it has rarely looked so appealing.

Rotten Tomatoes says, "Though the genre is well worn at this point, director Jim Mickle focuses on strong characterization and eerie atmosphere to craft an effective apocalyptic vampire chiller that also manages to pack a mean punch." This is another way of saying it. The "eerie atmosphere" of the visuals contrasts and corrects the "well worn" genre. The characters are strong, I suppose, though I found them to be not the strongest point.

That being said, Danielle Harris shines here. She is too often these days thrown into a horror film because she has some "star power" with horror fans. Here, she still has that power, but is actually given a role that is worthy of her talents -- superb acting, an opportunity to sing. She is the shining light in the darkness of the apocalypse.

I was in the mood for a campy cheesy movie, saw this and though "Stake Land...perfect!"

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

This movie was incredibly well done and was instantly added to my list of rainy day movies.

If you haven't seen this you should.

The question you need to ask before watching Stake Land is how similar is it to Zombieland? The answer: Very similar, but strikingly different in many ways. It may have more in common with 28 Days Later, with the onset of the premise. But it has an imagination of its own, to be sure. As most of it takes place in the Adirondack mountains, the scenery is lush throughout most of the film. The cinematography is quite good, which helps support the framework. The acting is definitely on or slightly above par, especially from Connor Paolo who went on to have bit parts in some other movies. Paolo is mildly entertaining as the youngster who latches on to the older Mister character, deeply reminiscent of Eisenberg and Harrelson in Zombieland. Having come out a year later than Zombieland, it's clear the influence. Even the title, "Stake Land" is uttered in a clear voice-over inspired by the previous movie's success. There are really three types of vampire movies: those that focus on the victims, such as I Am Legend, those that focus on the vampires, such as Interview with a Vampire, and those that divvy up both sides, such as From Dusk Til Dawn. This movie falls in the victims category, with mostly one-dimensional monsters as the vampires until they start to evolve later in the movie into more of a From Dusk Til Dawn version. Zombieland minus the humor, 28 Days Later with vampires, or a dumbed down From Dusk Til Dawn, anyway you cut it, this movie uses other vampire movies as its stock and blends the components only semi-competently. Entertaining? Yes. Enough to write home about? Barely.

I am a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre. In recent years we have seen cannibalism, zombies and vampires mixed in the storyline. Worthy to note, 'The Road', 'The Book of Eli', 'I am Legend', 'Zombieland'.

My personal opinion is, I am very impressed with Stake Land, in terms of being a very well made film. You simply have to admire the cinematography (lighting and shooting style was responsible for the realism factor), storyline (character development was top notch), production (realistic locations and sets), directing (credit to the director & his team) and acting (thumbs up).

I can declare this is one of the best post-apocalyptic movie of the decade.

First of all, I will say that the DVD cover (or poster) doesn't really do the movie much justice. I had some initial hesitation about sitting down to watch it because of that, as it looked like some of the questionable movies that Mickey Rourke made during his dark period. But still, I did sit down to watch it eventually.

That being said, then I should also say that it was nice to see a vampire movie where the vampires weren't glorified and romanticized. The vampires in "Stake Land" didn't have big hair, shiny and sparkling skin, nor were they beautiful beyond mortal standards. The vampires in this movie were beastly, savage and feral. Oddly enough, though, they sort of looked like zombies quite often, which I found to be a great approach to vampires. One thing I didn't particularly like though, was the guttural growl that they were emitting, a sound that you'd hear from big feline hunters, a sound that the human throat is in no way capable of reproducing. That sound was a bit misplaced here.

The story was quite good, being set in a bleak, apocalyptic USA. Vampires have spread like a disease and left most of USA barren for life and sent the survivors scattering and huddling in small make-shift settlements. Mister (played by Nick Damici) have taken Martin (played by Connor Paolo) under his wing after Martin's parents were brutally slaughtered by vampires. They are heading from the southern parts of USA, making their way to the north, heading for New Eden.

I enjoyed the feel of the movie, because you really got the feeling of hopelessness and isolation. Plus, the way the movie was shot was really nice to look at, lots of great usage of the camera here. And there was a distinct feel of it being a desolate apocalyptic nation to it, something like it was taken right out of the "Fallout" games.

Despite it having a nice enough movie, there were times, though, when the story was moving ahead at snail speed, where I wished it would just speed up and get on with it. But in overall, the movie was able to support these moments by making up for it with other stuff. Another moment of irritation, for me at least, was when the group was up in the highlands of the mountains and found out a vampire was stalking them, it was really anti-climatic and stupid when they found out what it was (or actually who it was) that was stalking them. There was no logic to that turn of events - why would he have survived, and just how was he able to track them?

If you are tired of the teenage vampires who have been put on pedestals because they are so romantically-inclined, so attractive and because they have muscular (and oil covered) bodies, big hair, and sparkly skin, then give "Stake Land" a go. The vampires here are quite the opposite, and you won't find any of that mindless teenage love-nonsense here.