By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Coming to Digital
March 15th
Amazon, Tubi, iTunes
Exclusive screening on Facebook March 13, 2021 at 1 PM PST
When human blood suckers gather, what are they called? Is it a coven or a cauldron like the bats they are? It’s hard to say, but Chris Sanders’ Nest of Vampires is an aptly named film about a cadre who is having trouble keeping quiet in a small town in England. Kit Valentine (Tom Fairfoot), a top MI5 agent, lost his wife to a group of them and the authorities are not investigating. His daughter, Anna (Daria Krauzo), is kidnapped and no self-respecting father will let this case go cold.
Had Dracula ever wanted to lay down an empire as detailed in Bram Stoker’s novel, this movie would be a perfect followup! There’s no relation to the Victorian work. Instead, this crowdfunded film project by Sanders is styled to fit in the world of The Lost Boys. Yes, the setup is cheesy, and this nest is in over their heads, but the concept nicely works.
This actor turned director doesn’t have a long resume of works, and some may know him as Jack Knife Twins in the movie Agent Kelly, released by Raya Films. His interest in horror led him to write and direct a horror flick, She Summoned Him and his latest lays down the rules of a different masquerade.
The world is very familiar, and anyone not paying attention will miss the punch line early in the film. We’re led down a story that’s one part heist (seeing an innocent girl get kidnapped) and another part recovery (of said woman) and vampires are involved!
This movie sees Kit take a leave of absence to chase down these kidnappers. Through flashbacks, we learn why he’s tough as nails. He’s a different immortal and his family knows. We see he’s trying to escape the curse and we’re in on the secret nobody else in the film is aware.
The production is right up there with being a perfectly laid out Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery. The terror lies in the suspense, waiting for the bad guys to realize who Kit really is. His daughter, Anna, knows and lays the cryptic threats on thick, and it’s fun to see if these up-and-coming secret societies will ever figure it out. The world is very well thought out so that sequels are possible. It’s hard to say if more movies will be considered since this idea is from the independent filmmaking world. If more vampiric gangbusters are going to take place, I hope Chris Sanders is there to be the don.
4 Fangs out of 5
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