Review of Fright Night (2011) by Dave K — 10 Oct 2014

I'll admit, I'm usually the first to let out a groan at the announcement of a remake, particularly where the original movie has a special place in my heart. It was therefore with some trepidation that I recently decided to give Craig Gillespie's Fright Night (2011) a watch. With both of the original films being part of my earliest exposure to the world of horror, I'd assumed that my inherent bias would probably leave me feeling unimpressed at best. It has to be said, I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) discovers that his new neighbour Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a blood-sucking murderer, and attempts to enlist the help of reluctant Vegas vampire-slayer Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to stop him.

Basic plot-line aside, this is a remake in name only. The style and script are not (unlike many horror remakes) simply feeble attempts to mimic the original film, and (with the exception of a brief but enjoyable cameo appearance by Chris Sarandon at "Jay Dee") the film doesn't make the common mistake of turning itself into a platform for knowing references aimed at existing fans.

The subtext of a fatherless adolescent seeking out strong male role models is still present, but this is now accompanied by Brewster's coming to terms with his place in teenage societal structure. Though a little overstated at times, it is an interesting addition.

The performances are fairly solid throughout. Following his successes in the sublime Martin McDonagh films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, Colin Farrell continues to demonstrate that after years of mediocre action-hero shittery, he does have a flair for comedy and plays "Jerry the vampire" with elongated vampiric tongue placed firmly in cheek. One criticism I might offer is that David Tennant, though doing what he does very well, perhaps doesn't have enough to do. This may be an unfair criticism based on the fact that his CV does include an impressive history of facing-off against monsters, but it would have been nice to see him interacting with Farrell a little more.

Overall, this is by no means a great horror film. But, much like the original, serves its purpose well as an enjoyable vampire flick and is certainly worthy of your viewing time.