If there is one movie genre we have had an overabundance of in the last several years it is vampire movies. Not surprisingly most of them suck more than the undead nosferatu that populate them. I was fully expecting Fright Night to fall in line with all the others. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of a not-scary horror film (or the other type of popular vampire move, the lame romance film) I found myself watching a campy action film that reminded me of watching The Monster Squad (1987) back when I was a kid. It has the same “geek vs overwhelming odds” feel to it.
When the teenage Charley (Anton Yelchin) realizes that his neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire, he struggles to protect his mom and his new hot girlfriend while keeping them both in the dark about what he suspects. Along the way he tries to defeat Jerry but finds that he is ill prepared, and Jerry instead plays with him like a cat toying with a mouse.
While the movie is not going to win any Oscars, it is quite entertaining. Farrell delivers a very convincing performance. I was quite impressed. Everyone else’s performances were acceptable, but nothing that stood out. The movie successfully combined action and humor with a little bit of suspense. While there were the normal “oh how convenient” issues, they weren’t so much so that they detracted from the story.
All in all, this movie was quite fun and worth seeing. It is rated R, and I’d agree with the rating. While it has a “The Monster Squad” feel, it would not be appropriate for younger kids. I give it a 8 / 10.
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