Del Kathryn Barton hits strong in her first feature-length film. Excepting some shaky decisions, the film is engaging both in its more “kitschy” and colourful side as well as its more humane and naturalistic one. Supported by great art direction, special effects and acting, from the very beginning we become fully engaged in our protagonist’s emotional journey.
The extremely rushed nature of the story causes a no attachment to the characters.
Added to that, the supposedly intended mix of comedy and horror leaves you flabbergasted and confused. You never fully know if you are meant to laugh or be scared. A clear example of that are the performance of Douglas Booth and the appearances of the “little people”. Those can only be defined as hilariously bad.
Its wide array of singular characters is the only thing that makes this film slightly enjoyable. In special during the initial part of the movie where the characters are divided in sub-groups on their way to the location of the party.
Otherwise it is an unnecessary exposition fest with a standard teenage party turned into a non-sensical and underwhelming confrontation against the “infected”.
It has a nice wrapping with Cage covering the comedic horror, and Hoult and Awkwafina the ludicrous gory action.
On the other hand, it lacks substance being quite over the place with multiple underdeveloped storylines which become uninteresting: Renfield’s co-dependence, Dracula’s world domination, Rebecca’s work and family issues, and the mobsters and their shady business.
Simply entertaining. Nothing else.
Although having a good trigger point for the mystery, its extremely generic score, kindergarten-level script (with outrageously simple dialogues, foolish characters, and filled with plot holes), and cringy overacting and over romanticism make of this movie simply a bigger budgeted crappy TV movie.
