Review of Strigoi (2009) by Mary H — 11 Oct 2013

One sentence summary: Class warfare plus vampire issues in Romania.

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Vlad Cozma is almost a doctor, but he's queasy around blood. He's an omega male, and is ignored and shown disrespect regularly, often in vulgar fashion. He's the protagonist since he wants certain mysteries solved.

After World War II, the Communists stole a huge amount of land in Romania, sending a modern nation back into feudalism. The landowners could get their land back after the fall of communism. However, the rising capitalist/carpetbagger class finagled laws requiring that original land deeds be produced to successfully conduct such claims.

One of Vlad's mysteries was, "where is grandfather Nicholae's land deed?" That takes up a large chunk of the film.

Early on, Vlad signs a death certificate, which he should not have done. He never quite got those medical credentials. The police ferret this out, and one of the detectives, Octav, uses this fact to force Vlad to assist him in the investigation of the death.

The third major thread is the matter of who is a strigoi (vampire) and who was not, along with whether the strigoi exist or not. The strigoi make Vlad's other two investigations that much more difficult.

By the end of the film, Vlad is no longer the omega male.

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Cinematography: 8/10 Occasionally dark, but mostly competent.

Sound: 8/10 A little low at times.

Acting: 10/10 Just right for the screenplay.

Screenplay: 7/10 The plot was murky, but moves along. The conclusion was difficult but also satisfying.

This is one of my favorite low-budget vampire films.