Review of Stake Land (2010) by Joe J — 21 May 2012

The world has forever changed. Vampires now roam the world freely, and humans form colonies to fight them. Martin (Connor Paolo) and his family were about to escape when a vampire attacked, killing his parents and baby brother. Martin was spared because a stranger known as Mister (Nick Damici) appeared and killed the vampire.

Mister takes Martin under his wing and teaches him how to fight vampires as they make their way north to a safe zone called New Eden in Canada. Along the way they meet a nun (Kelly McGillis), a young woman who's about to give birth (Danielle Harris) and a former Marine (Sean Nelson). Together they trek north while fighting vampires and crazy religious cults that believe the vampires are there to cleanse the world from the evil. They become a new family, and like any family they face triumphs - and tragedies - as they try to make it to the promised land.

Sure, this seems to be a mix of "28 Days Later" and "The Road," but it was still extremely well-done, especially for a lower budget flick. They spent a lot of time in building characters we believe in and value, and throw in a bunch of shocking moments and even more shocking deaths that really have an impact not just on the film itself but the viewer as well. This ain't your "Twilight" vampires, that's for sure.