Stake Land
Director: Jim Mickle
Writer: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle
Cast: Connor Paolo, Nick Damici, Michael Cerveris, Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Sean Nelson
Part of: /slash Filmfestival

Plot:
America is overtaken by vampires, leaving behind a world that is pretty much fucked. Martin (Connor Paolo) is a teenager who lost his entire family in a vampire attack. He probably would be dead himself if it wasn’t for Mister (Nick Damici), a vampire hunter who takes Martin in and on as an apprentice. Together they travel towards New Eden, not really knowing whether it really does exist. But vampires aren’t the only threat on the road. There’s also the brotherhood headed by Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris) who see the vampires as god’s way of purging the earth of infidels.

Stake Land is basically The Road with added vampire action and a coming of age story. If you think that sounds awesome, you’re totally right.

[SPOILERS]

The only thing I really have to criticize about this film was the way the plot surrounding the Brotherhood was resolved. Loven is definitely the bad guy, with his right-wing insistence that the earth needs to be purged. So why he should be “rewarded” with having his theory proven by becoming the better vampire because he gave himself willingly to them and believed that they were just great that’s a bit of a weird morale for a film that generally  seemed to follow the “belief is just fine, church is where things get bad” line of thought.

But other than that, I really liked the film. It also had my favorite quote of the /slash Filmfestival:

And all that goodness destroyed by Christian crazies dropping vamps from the sky.

As they do. As they do.

Stake Land has good actors, an interesting story and a cool soundtrack – what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, Canada is the New Eden. Which for an American movie is a pretty gutsy thing to say. It made me laugh in any case.

I was completely caught up in the film, surprised by the plot a couple of times and I really enjoyed myself.

Summarising: See it.