Vampire films these days a one dozen of the other, there are so many of them, most of them independent productions, but once in a while we’ll get something from a major Hollywood studio that will give us one worth watching. While Perfect Creature is one that is a toss up, some will find it to be a great vampire film, while others will find it to be just OK. In my case it was just OK, but my idea of a great vampire film died in the nineteen nineties.
Perfect Creature shows us a different kind of vampire human relationship. A world in which they co-exist. The vampires in this film have a brotherhood with a code of ethics that they go by. The truce between humans involves them donating their blood to the brothers and in exchange the brother will find a cure for human related diseases and viruses. Sounds like a nice trade off if you ask me. Anyhow, a rogue vampire named Edgar whom is recently infected with the virus slowly begins to go crazy and starts attacking humans and other vampires alike. When he is caught by the brothers and taken to a lab run by them, Edgar escapes them and is out on the loose terrorizing anyone who gets in his path. Now it’s up to Edgar’s brother whom is part of the Brotherhood and a female police officer to stop Edgar from turning people into vampires, the bloodsucking kind.
The script to this film is not that bad, the movie starts off a bit slow, but the plot gets rolling after the first half hour. The character development in the beginning of the film is a bit off and I didn’t find myself relating to the characters right away. It took some time for me to really get behind the characters in the film, but as the plot moved along I found myself becoming more interested. The overall feel the script brings to the screen are in the likes of almost being that of a film nior. It’s a very dark script that can very well be linked up the likes of films like Dark City, Blade Runner, and a mix of Underworld thrown in. The way the film was shot and put together kind of reminded a lot of a comic book, one very similar to Frank Miller’s Sin City.
The acting in the movie is very good. The cast is not that of well known actors and actresses, but I’m sure you’ll recognize some of the faces that dawn the characters in this film such as Dougray Scott (Dark Water, Desperate Housewives), Saffron Burrows (Troy), Leo Gregory (Tristan + Isolde) and Stuart Wilson (Hot Fuzz, Lethal Weapon 3). Not a very well known cast but they have had there share of big projects. In this film however they are the stars, and their performances are that of true professionals. Its odd, because with no big name stars in the cast, its what was probably the reason why this film did not get a theatrical release. But in my opinion the cast was better than that of a lot of well know Hollywood cast’s that make millions of dollars.
The Production value is top notch, and the visuals and shots used in this film project that of a big budget Hollywood feature. I was very impressed with the set design and the look and feel of the film. Director Glenn Standring has a great eye for the camera and his style of directing is flawless. Some of the CGI effects looked a little fake but were not so bad that it took away from the film. The make-up effects were pretty good in this film, I especially was impressed with the look the make-up team gave Edgar, throughout the whole film he had this mad sinister look to him, and it really helped with the evil that was his character.
Besides the great visual achievements as well as the directing and acting, what separated this film from being that of a great one for me was the complexity of the overall script. The story was on an up and down level for me and I felt a bit let down by the way the movie ended, even though it was what ultimately defines the title of the film. I think this film will appeal to hardcore fans of the vampire sub-genre, and people who enjoyed films such as Underworld and the Blade Trilogy. My overall opinion of it was that it was just an alright flick.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
