Review: Fright Night (2011)

While watching Fright Night (2011), a punch line comes to mind that was uttered by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, while he was speaking with Jon Bon Jovi about his participation in the movie Vampire: Los Muertos.  Specifically, he said to Bon Jovi: “Finally, a role that requires you to suck!”  That one line perfectly captures how I feel about Colin Farrell’s turn as a blood sucking fiend from beyond in a film that can best be described as Disturbia (which is a cheap man’s Rear Window) meets The Lost Boys.  However, I have to admit that despite some bad CG, for once Farrell is not terrible – and I think this is because for years casting directors have been trying to place him in leading roles that require the audience to like him.  To the contrary, this role works precisely because it capitalizes on the unlikeable qualities that seem to pervade his public persona.

So going into this movie, I really did not want to like it.  It had been sitting on my iPad unviewed for over a month.  Only a cross-country flight could bring me to watch it.  This movie has a lot in common with the aforementioned Disturbia, which was not a particularly good movie.  One major reason it surpasses its doppelganger is that it features a protagonist that the viewer can root for.  Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Like Crazy) is solid as a high school kid looking to maintain his perceived tenuous grasp on popularity and on his attractive girlfriend Amy, played by Imogen Poots.  You watch him on screen and find him believable as a sneaker-head/closet geek who is painfully aware that he is dating up and worried that some day his significant other is going to realize this.

Farrell's Jerry Dandridge is a good antagonist to Yelchin’s Charley.  While he may not be the most authentic vampire incarnation to make it on screen (actually far from it), Farrell smugness is so palpable that viewers can find themselves rooting against him regardless of the thirst-for-blood associated with his role.  Toni Collette is adequate as Charley’s single mom and David Tennant offers a nice tonal change of pace as the enigmatic illusionist Peter Vincent.  Of the group, Christoper Mintz-Plasse is the biggest miss as Evil Ed Thompson, though part of me wonders if it is because to most he will always be McLovin.

At the end of the day, we’re not dealing with Shakespeare here as there is nothing terribly original about a plot that involves a vampire terrorizing a semi-isolated small community – even when you throw the bright lights of Vegas into the mix.  But the movie is meant to put you on the edge of your seat and director Craig Gillespie does a fair job of building tension while intermittently opting for the cheap scare.  In a genre that is notorious for churning out low budget gore fests, Fright Night rates above average in regards to character development.

I do have to say that the film unravels a bit in the third act and that detracts from the overall tone of the movie, but I still consider Fright Night a fair horror rental - especially if you are looking for a moderate amount of suspense.  It may be a bit mild for hardcore enthusiast, but there is just enough there to keep everyone entertained.

Standout Performance: Imogen Poots does a nice job of channeling Sarah Roemer’s Ashley in Disturbia and Elisha Cuthbert’s Danielle from The Girl Next Door.