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Set in a small rural town, Near Dark follows Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar), a young man that meets Mae (Jenny Wright), a young drifter, without knowing she's a vampire. Eventually, he finds himself on the run with her vicious "family", led by Jesse Hooker (Lance Henriksen) and the psychotic Severen (Bill Paxton).
This is a film I've heard mentioned very often, but for some reason, I hadn't gotten around to it. After seeing it, I have to say I wasn't as enamoured with it as some people are. I think the main character is mostly bland, and his romance with Mae is poorly written, and the way the plot unfolds is a bit of a mess at times.
But what the film does very well is to create a certain vibe or atmosphere around the characters that carries all the way through. That, and a kickass performance by Paxton, who steals every scene he's in. Henriksen is solid as well, if not too subdued. I just wish there was more thought put into the logistics of the story.
As it is, the film ends up for me kinda like Caleb, in a weird middle spot between night and day, good and bad, its strengths and flaws. I just wish that, much like him, we could just transfuse the bad out of it.
Grade:
NEAR DARK
(1987, Bigelow)
A horror film
(1987, Bigelow)
A horror film
"I ain't a person anymore. I don't know what I am. I'm sick!"
Set in a small rural town, Near Dark follows Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar), a young man that meets Mae (Jenny Wright), a young drifter, without knowing she's a vampire. Eventually, he finds himself on the run with her vicious "family", led by Jesse Hooker (Lance Henriksen) and the psychotic Severen (Bill Paxton).
This is a film I've heard mentioned very often, but for some reason, I hadn't gotten around to it. After seeing it, I have to say I wasn't as enamoured with it as some people are. I think the main character is mostly bland, and his romance with Mae is poorly written, and the way the plot unfolds is a bit of a mess at times.
But what the film does very well is to create a certain vibe or atmosphere around the characters that carries all the way through. That, and a kickass performance by Paxton, who steals every scene he's in. Henriksen is solid as well, if not too subdued. I just wish there was more thought put into the logistics of the story.
As it is, the film ends up for me kinda like Caleb, in a weird middle spot between night and day, good and bad, its strengths and flaws. I just wish that, much like him, we could just transfuse the bad out of it.
Grade: