Vampyr - Lisa's Review

*** SPOILERS ***

Back to the 30's this week.  When this movie started, I thought that, despite my general dislike of old movies that we were maybe on to something special, but nah... sadly not.

The general 'feel' and spooky atmosphere for the first half hour or so made me feel kind of unsettled, which when you're watching a horror, is a good thing.  Sadly the spooky feel turned into a getting ever more bored and desperately trying to work out what the hell is going on.  A case of "Is this actually happening or is it a dream/vision?".  As time went on, I cared less and less what was going on, which is sad as this one started out with everything it needed to be impressive.



I suppose I should start by saying this is a German-French movie.  I watched the German language version, with English subtitles.  The movie was originally recorded in 3 different languages, with the audio being added at a later date.  To compensate there is VERY little dialogue in the movie, but a very invasive, loud and dramatic musical score.  We are given details of what is going on from excerpts from a book which is put onscreen periodically for us to read.  Unfortunately since the book is in German and is obviously on a white page... and the subtitles in English are in a white text... it makes it quite difficult to read the translation before it has moved on to the next sentence.  Having studied German, I had a slight advantage and didn't need entire subtitles, but those that I didn't know (which given some of the language was more than it should have been) were difficult.  Anyways, moving on to a premise.


The movie follows a young man, Allan Gray.   Allan is rather superstitious and has a leaning towards dreaming and having visions.  It makes it difficult to work out what is going on and what are dreams/visions in the movie.  As he wanders around an old inn which he has checked into at the start, he sees and hears things which don't seem to exist.  He also sees odd and unsettling shadows where there is nothing to cast it.  I found that idea inventive and very unsettling.  I was beginning to start guessing what was going on.  Was he seeing peoples fates before they happened?  It was intriguing... sadly the shadows at the start are never properly explained throughout the movie.

Whilst Allan is in his bedroom at the inn, a man enters and insists that "They can't kill her!".  With that he leaves a package on the table with a message telling him to open it upon his death.   This obviously intrigues Allan, so he's off nosing into other peoples homes, looking through windows to try to find answers.  During one such peeking incident, he see's that the very man who left the package in his room being murdered by none other than .... a shadow.  Dun dun Duuuuuuuuuuuun!

I won't say much more about the movie but for the fact that eventually we get around to the Vampyr connection, but as far as I'm concerned all the good parts of the movie had already passed.  That what could have been.

You should have went with the shadows guys!!!  No recommendation, but no avoid either, as maybe a different mood would have got a slightly less disappointing review from me, still never enough to recommend, but enough that other people may enjoy it much more than me.