Friday, May 27, 2022
flickfeast
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Festivals
  • FrightFeast
  • Spotlight
  • Contribute
  • Submissions
    • Advertise on Flickfeast
    • Submit a Film
No Result
View All Result
flickfeast
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Festivals
  • FrightFeast
  • Spotlight
  • Contribute
  • Submissions
    • Advertise on Flickfeast
    • Submit a Film
No Result
View All Result
FLICKFEAST
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews HE Reviews

Midnight Son (2011)

Kevin Matthews by Kevin Matthews
January 8, 2013
in HE Reviews
14
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When it comes to horror archetypes – the zombie, the vampire, Frankenstein’s monster, etc – it becomes harder and harder with each passing year to do something very different with them. The years, and wealth of previous movie and literary incarnations, weigh heavily upon each subsequent attempt to try something new. That’s why most of the time I end up giving credit to people who have at least tried to provide viewers with something fresh, even if the end product isn’t entirely successful. Midnight Son is one of those movies but I will also say that it’s one that comes closer than most to being a complete success. When I am watching a vampire movie and start to compare it favourably to Near Dark and Cronos then I think that’s a very good sign.

Now I don’t want those words to come back at some point and bite me on the ass. I am not saying that this movie is as good as those classics. I am saying that it tries to put a very different spin on a subgenre that can often be seen as a bit long in the tooth. Oh yes, I just made that joke.

You might also like

Death on the Nile (2022) – Blu-ray Review

The Mitchells Vs The Machines (2021)- Blu-ray Review

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)- 4K Blu-ray Review

Writer-director Scott Leberecht gives viewers a solid character study that just happens to be about someone afflicted with a condition that means he must stay out of sunlight and gets a thirst now and again for a particular fluid that we all carry around in our veins. Zak Kilberg plays this poor unfortunate, named Jacob, and while he finds himself going through some worrying changes he meets two very different people who will become important to him. One is Mary (played by Maya Parish), a woman who he seems to hit it off with from their very first moments together, and the other is Marcus (Jo D. Jonz), a hospital worker who might be able to supply Jacob with the blood that he now craves, for a price.

With decent performances from everyone involved (including Arlen Escarpeta as the brother of Marcus and Larry Cedar as a detective who finds himself with some unusual deaths to investigate) , one or two nice surprises in the mix and a storyline that develops organically, Leberecht has much to be proud of. The script isn’t full of instantly quotable dialogue but it’s concise and smart, treating viewers as adults while also having a little fun with the standard ingredients of most vampire tales. The same can be said about the direction, the movie won’t ever be mistaken for a Hollywood blockbuster but it does an exceptional job of covering up any shortcomings and keeping viewers both intrigued and entertained.

I’ll be very interested to see what Leberecht does in the future because he proves here that he’s a very talented guy, well worth keeping an eye on.

Midnight Son receives a very limited UK theatrical release on 11th January before hitting disc form on 11th February. The disc includes the trailer, a decent audio commentary with Scott Leberecht, Zak Kilberg, Maya Parish and Jo D. Jonz, some deleted scenes and some interviews with cast and crew members, making it a fairly decent package.

WRITER/DIRECTOR: SCOTT LEBERECHT
STARS: ZAK KILBERG, MAYA PARISH, JO D. JONZ, ARLEN ESCARPETA, LARRY CEDAR
RUNTIME: 88 MINS APPROX
COUNTRY:USA

Film Rating: ★★★½☆
DISC Rating: ★★★½☆

Tags: arlen escarpetadramahorrorjo d jonzlarry cedarmaya parishmidnight sonscott leberechtvampirezak kilberg
Kevin Matthews

Kevin Matthews

Kevin Matthews lives in Edinburgh and has done for some time. He loves it there and he loves movies, especially horrors. No film is too awful to pass through his cinematic haze.

Related Posts

Death on the Nile (2022) - Blu-ray Review
HE Reviews

Death on the Nile (2022) – Blu-ray Review

by Jed Wagman
April 11, 2022
The Mitchells Vs The Machines (2021)- Blu-ray Review
HE Reviews

The Mitchells Vs The Machines (2021)- Blu-ray Review

by Jed Wagman
December 13, 2021
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)- 4K Blu-ray Review
Film Review

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)- 4K Blu-ray Review

by Jed Wagman
December 6, 2021
Superman & Lois
HE Reviews

‘Superman and Lois’ (2021) Series Review

by Jenna Scott
December 2, 2021
Koko-Di Koko-Da (2019) – Film Review
HE Reviews

Koko-Di Koko-Da (2019) – Film Review

by Dallas King
September 9, 2020

Recommended

World Cinema Wednesday: Insensibles AKA Painless (2012)

World Cinema Wednesday: Insensibles AKA Painless (2012)

December 28, 2016

Cell 211 (2009)

January 8, 2012

Don't miss it

Film Review

Firestarter (2022) – Film Review

May 24, 2022
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – Film Review
Film Review

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – Film Review

May 23, 2022
Benediction (2021)
Film Review

Benediction (2021) — Film Review

May 19, 2022
Top 100 Greatest Movies Films
Spotlight

100 Greatest Movies (and 50 Honorable Mentions)

May 24, 2022
The Innocents (2021) – Film Review
Film Review

The Innocents (2021) – Film Review

May 17, 2022
Father Stu (2022) – Film Review
Film Review

Father Stu (2022) – Film Review

May 12, 2022
flickfeast

Whetting your appetite for cinema with the best film reviews and features since 2009

© Copyright - flickfeast. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Festivals
  • FrightFeast
  • Spotlight
  • Contribute

© Copyright - flickfeast. All Rights Reserved.

Posting....