Indie Gems: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

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"I'm Dracula"

Arash (Arash Marandi) lives in an Iranian town called "Bad City." There's not much going on there. His father is a junkie whose pimp is harassing him for money. Meanwhile, he meets a mysterious girl (Sheila Vand) who roams the streets at night. What he doesn't know is that she's actually a vampire.

This film was one I heard a lot about last year, but it never dawned on me that it was an Iranian vampire movie. I'm not even sure what I thought it was going to be about, truthfully. Either way, it got excellent reviews so when I saw that it ended up on Netflix Instant, I had to see it. 

I'm not a fan of modern black and white movies, but this is one of the few where it absolutely works. The film is very stylish and the soundtrack fits perfectly. There are times where it tries a bit too hard to be arty. (That balloon dance) But overall it sets an interesting tone and separates itself from all the other vampire movies. In fact, it's not really a vampire movie at all. The lead character just happens to be one. This is a peculiar love story, and one about a woman taking control of her own life despite something that should define her.

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "Are you a good boy?" - The Girl (Sheila Vand)

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 3, 2015 at 7:59 AM

    I'm so interested in seeing this. I just need to dedicate the time to do so! Great review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 3, 2015 at 8:36 AM

      Thank you! It's a pretty short movie, I hope you can squeeze it in.

      Delete
  2. s.July 3, 2015 at 12:21 PM

    I cannot wait to see this one, I like vampire films that are not quite vampire films a lot :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 4, 2015 at 12:50 PM

    I'm glad you liked this one too! I agree -- the black and white and other stylistic elements really worked here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 5, 2015 at 11:02 PM

      It was a gorgeous film to look at for sure. I'm glad it's on Netflix so more can see it.

      Delete
  4. msmariahJuly 4, 2015 at 9:52 PM

    HI Brittani, I'm glad you described the film. I have seen countless reviews and this is the first one that I read that the girl was a vampire. I really didn't know what it was about until now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 5, 2015 at 11:01 PM

      I don't even think the film outright calls her one...but she's a vampire. The way they handled it reminded me of Let The Right One In.

      Delete
  5. UnknownJuly 5, 2015 at 10:40 PM

    I'm so glad you got to see it! I've recommended it to everyone, because I absolutely love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 5, 2015 at 11:01 PM

      I do too. The worst thing I've had someone say it "Not my thing, but still very pretty to watch" so I still consider that a plus.

      Delete
  6. JoshJuly 24, 2015 at 4:47 AM

    I couldn't get into this one, unfortunately. Though, it was beautifully shot, and Vand was brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 24, 2015 at 7:32 AM

      I can understand. Glad you liked how it was shot though. It really was gorgeous.

      Delete

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