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EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: ***
Horror films, since their inception, have focused on scaring the viewers with
whatever is at hand: too much blood, gore and violence. One that does not do so,
and yet is decent enough to hold your attention, deserves accolades.
"Fright Night" is such a film.
Yet, when you sit through the film, its lilting pace seems disconcerting
initially. But, surprisingly the film warms up as it literally keeps getting
better and grows on you with a very interesting narrative pace for a horror
film.
After discovering that his neighbour Jerry (Collin Farrell) is a vampire,
teenager Charley (Anton Yelchin) has to find ways to protect his mom and
girlfriend from his prying, killing presence. He tries to take help from a TV
show host who claims to be an expert vampire killer.
First of all, unlike many horror films, "Fright Night" is in no hurry
to scare you. It has a mood of its own, and builds upon its story with a gentle
pace. It is actually surprising how the director literally throws away one
chance after another to induce a nasty, terrorised chill up your spine, moments
that other horror movies would lap up.
For instance, when Charley is finally sure that Jerry is a vampire and the
vampire also knows that the kid knows, the confrontation could have been
scarier, or when our teenager is in the vampire`s house and he is allowed to
simply walk away.
Yes, director Craig Gillespie, who debuted with the quirky little masterpiece
"Lars and the Real Girl", is not looking for cheap thrills. That does
not mean it is minus its horrors. If nothing, the special effects in which
seemingly hundreds of sharp teeth that emerge from a vampire`s mouth and dig
into its victims neck, look scary.
"Fright Night" is refreshingly breezy, unserious and at times even
silly. And this combination actually works for the film in a time of gore and
excessive special effects.
The original 1985 film of the same name, of which this is a remake, had a
simpler story and it had an interestingly balanced combination of humour and
horror. This one takes the story, but builds different angles to it. It does
lose out on the humour, but the gore and horror has definitely doubled.
Yet, it does not look needlessly self-conscious or pesky like the other recent
remakes of `80s teen horror films like "Elm Street" and "Friday
The 13th".
Collin Farrell is a kind of casting coup for a film like this. And in his own
imitable way, he brings in flair to the film.
This is a must watch for the fans of the original and those who prefer a little
refinement in their horror films.