One of the hardest things to do in any horror format is to bring something fresh to an iconic and age-old terror tale. That is what writer/director Chris Sanders attempts in his Vampire film, Nest of Vampires. With an alluring original plot and talented veteran cast, this fang film comes with high expectations. Does Sanders give the Horror Nation a fresh take on the old lore of the undead or will this effort lack the bite to join the immortals?
MI5 agent Kit Valentine (Tom Faifoot) is one of the best in the business. Kit has a special knack for busting up large crime syndicates all through the United Kingdom. When Kit’s wife is murdered and his daughter is kidnapped, Kit unleashes all of his gifts to extract revenge. What the super-agent finds is a massive network of human traffickers run by hard as a coffin nail gangsters and blood sucking Vampires. With the mystic powers of an ancient stone, these vamps can operate in broad daylight. Using all of his gifts and abilities, Kit begins to take the evil empire down brick by brick, tooth to fang. With all forces, alive and undead, stacked against him, Kit enters a race against time in a desperate attempt to rescue his daughter.
If Guy Ritchie wrote and directed a vampire film, it would be Nest of Vampires. Sanders presents a dialogue driven work that keeps the viewer glued to the screen with more twists and turns than an English country back road. Using the rich dialogue, the performers all put in terrific shifts. Faifoot stands out as a suave and strong lead in a Bond esq role. Hans Hernke and Jon-Paul Gates put in sharp toothed performances as ruthless villains. While the written word and well-shot piece is strong, the special effects limp through the film, understandable on an independent budget. Nest of Vampires is a very original entry into the long lore of vampiric film catalog, with a script that packs plenty of bite.
Scream Score: 7.8/10