Review - Fright Night

A Nibble of Fear
Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is a normal kid in a Las Vegas neighborhood that has popped up in the middle of the desert. He has changed his friends and is fitting in with a new group. But his old group of friends has a problem. One has gone missing and no one is looking for him. His old friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) wants to know what happens and needs Charley to come along and check things out.

Ed believes Charley’s neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Yep, Jerry the vampire – has a certain ring to it, no? But what Ed gets into is nothing like what he imagined. Now Charley must protect his mother (Toni Collette) his girlfriend (Imogen Poots) and everyone else in the neighborhood from Jerry’s clutches. Can he start to understand what he is up against?

Charley will need to enlist someone’s help in the battle, as he knows very little about vampires. So it’s off to the strip to enlist the help of Peter Vincent (David Tennant). Vincent has a show filled with illusion, and the dark arts. He is the expert Charley will turn to for help in facing down Jerry and keeping his friends and family safe. Who will survive?

Fright Night gives today’s kids a modern day setting for the “vampire next door” film. This isn’t a warmed over easy going film for the kids. This is a horror film with a bit of stylish feel. Sure, Farrell plays a vampire named Jerry that is running wild on this neighborhood. But don’t let the name fool you. Farrell’s Jerry is ruthless and as rough and menacing as anyone can imagine.

The cast is really what makes Fright Night work. With Yelchin out front battling Farrell it makes for a compelling pairing. And supporting them you have faces you know, even if you don’t know their names. Despite some glaring weird plot holes, the film just seems to work and have a certain “cool” factor that tends to be missing from most of these films.

No, Fright Night isn’t going to keep you from sleeping at night. But it will nibble on you just enough to get the goose bumps rising.


B-


Fright Night
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / DreamWorks SKG

Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Rating: R for bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references.
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes