Vampires against the Bronx
director: Oz Rodríguez
To emit: Jaden Michael, Gerald W Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV, Sarah Gadon, Method Man, Shea Wigham
In the fine tradition of films like Attack the Block and Cockneys vs Zombies, Vampires vs the Bronx is a low-key ode to genre cinema and the power of minorities.
Given a moderate release on Netflix, a movie’s little bear hug gives a voice to the working class and is as passionate about the dangers of gentrification as it is about the art of killing vampires.
Watch the trailer for Vampires vs the Bronx here
When a coven of the undead begins to take over real estate in the Bronx to create a massive “nest,” a trio of teenagers team up to finish them off. Miguel is the de facto leader of the group, known in the neighborhood as Lil Mayor, with the nerdy Luis and a considerably more hardened Bobby serving as sidekicks.
This is a good movie, with colorful characters and a true sense of place. Although the plot is very fine, the themes are as powerful as the poison that runs through the veins of vampires. The whole neighborhood hopes that Bobby, for example, will end up like his father, a victim of gang violence. Meanwhile, Lil Mayor seems to be following in the footsteps of the Bronx’s favorite son, AOC.
However, it is young Luis who steals all the scenes. Described as ‘Puerto Rican Harry Potter’, he is the most resourceful member of the gang, outfitted at all times with Holy Water (packed in plastic Sprite bottles), Eucharist (stolen from the church in a terrible ‘heist’ sequence) and garlic pods (taken from your grandmother’s kitchen). They also make wooden stakes out of baseball bats.
A still from Netflix’s Vampires vs the Bronx.
At about an hour and 20 minutes in length, writer-director Oz Rodríguez barely allows his film (and its leads) to breathe, which is fine. Vampires vs the Bronx cares more about its characters than its development; it’s more comfortable in fast comedic moments than in large-scale action.
And unlike some of the more popular movies of its kind, Zombieland and the recent Get Duked! It comes to mind immediately: it’s bloodless enough for kids to enjoy. That’s not to say it’s missing a bite, but it’s certainly not as violent as the Blade movies that Miguel, Bobby, and Luis do marathon homework before taking on the coven.
Also Read: Dracula Review: Sherlock Writers Revitalize Another Literary Icon On Netflix’s Bloody Good Show
For grown-ups, there is a palpable love of vampire cinema to admire: The evil real estate company that bloodsuckers use as a front is named after Nosferatu director FW Murnau, and in one scene, Shea Wigham’s character, as If I channel Bela Lugosi, back off. In the sunlight that filters through his office windows and boils, “The afternoon sun can be murder.”
Wigham’s isn’t the only inspired cast Rodriguez pulls off. Zoe Saldana appears in a cameo, Method Man plays the local dad, and The Kid Mero plays the lovable winery owner Tony. None of them probably spent more than a day or two on the film, but their participation certainly helped make it happen.
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The author tweets @RohanNaahar
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