As we wait for the dark cloud of Nosferatu to cast its dark shadow over cinema, a smaller French vampire film provides an adequate appetiser.
The Vourdalak comes from a Russian story which is over 100 years old, and tells the story of an emissary Antoine, who finds refuge with a strange family in the woods.
It has a fairytale quality to it, as the man is warned not to speak to anyone as he navigates his way through the woods, hinting at evil things lurking in the shadows.
When I say strange, their patriarch has gone missing, but when he returns it seems like he has got a taste for human blood.
The family dynamic is quite unique, with a dominant father Jegor, his submissive wife Anja their boy and girl plus the eccentric sister of the wife, Gorcha.
What is fascinating about the vampire design here is director Adrien Beau’s choice to make the creature of the night an animatronic, making its weird and unconventional movements even more haunting. It’s off-kilter but in all the best ways.
Antoine instantly notes the strange atmosphere that surrounds the family, even as the grandfather remains absent. Jegor even flat-out denies the vampire ‘myth’ even as the evidence becomes insurmountable. I suppose you always want to believe in the best in your family.
A vampire needs blood and this one will go to extremes to satisfy their thirst. The Vourdalak really shows the emotional heft of the decisions of the family and the vampire as things spiral out of control, and Antoine, who is our cypher, struggles to escape their clutches.
The reason The Vourdalak works so well is, it’s as much a family drama as well as a horror film plus it’s deliciously gothic. Beau really captures the isolation of this vampire tale in the woods; it’s a mood piece.
As we wait for the return of Nosferatu, The Vourdalak has more than adequate bite.
The Vourdalak is available now on VOD platforms.
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