Review of The Caretaker (2012) by David L — 18 Jan 2013

A fairly original take on the vampire genre. When a flu-like epidemic - which is actually the beginning stages of vampirism - starts sweeping across Australia a bunch of survivors hole up in a farmhouse together. When they discover a vampire has already taken up residence he makes a deal with them that if he protects them from his kind at night they protect him from their kind during the day. The group starts to fall apart during the daylight hours as agendas are hatched and tensions begin to rise proving that a sleeping vampire are the least of their worries.

Despite the film being on the lower side, budgetarily speaking, the filmakers make good use of effects in the vampire/gore scenes which are realistically portrayed. Underneath all the blood and fangs however at its centre The Caretaker is a tale of human survival and the inevitable problems that arise when trust and loyalty are put to the test and jealously clouds the judgement. A welcome deviation from the usual.