Fright Night is most assuredly a member of horror’s elite and is required viewing for any true vamp fan. The story revolves around Charley (Anton Yelchin), a kid in high school trying to outrun his dorky past so he’ll be in with the in-crowd. He leaves his nerd friends behind, chills with a cool crew, and gets a hot girl – life’s good. Then a mysterious neighbor named Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next-door and kids start disappearing like jolly ranchers. Charley’s dweebed-out former friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) tries to tell him that his neighbor is a vampire but refuses to heed his warning. As the story unfolds, he wishes he had listened to the geek.
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| Vampire Jerry does not like it when Charley gets cross. |
The first nod has to go to Colin Farrell. He flat-out owns the role of Jerry and delivers hilarity and horror in equal parts. Farrell can flip the switch from terrorizing trances to jocular gestures at a moment’s notice leaving the audience beautifully unbalanced. The double entendres fly as he invites his neighbors over for a “drink”. Give him credit for taking an obvious risk with a questionable remake and exceeding all expectations.
Possibly Farrell took the risk because of the rock solid cast around him consisting of Yelchin (Star Trek), Mintz-Plasse (Kick-Ass), and Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine). Yelchin translates well as an everyman, Plasse does his geek-schtick admirably, and Collette adds her trademark vulnerability. Few horror flicks have the luxury of having such a group like this and, hopefully, Fright Night’s success will open the door for more established actors to enter the fray.
Fright Night is also crafted with surprising artistry and technique, which is a complement to up-and-coming director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl). He not only channels a Hitchcockian voyeurism and adds a foreboding score, but successfully updates it with potent 3D effects with a fresh attitude. There is no doubt that this guy knows how to stage a quality kill sequence.
The picture is a slipstream of savage coolness that does its Las Vegas setting and feel justice. It has a quality that echoes the California vibe in another classic 80s vamp flick, The Lost Boys. And like The Lost Boys, it doesn’t take itself seriously and plays it loose. Fright Night is a just bloody good time and it stakes its claim among the best modern horror has to offer.