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★★★★
Directed by: Alice Maio Mackay
Written by: Alice Maio Mackay, Ben P. Robinson
Starring: Max Garcia-Underwood, Shabana Azeez, Charlotte Jakubowski, James McCluskey- Garcia, Vincent Donato, Brendan Cooney
As the title suggests, this Australian short, dark comedy horror film's plot involves teeth. Sharp teeth. The kind that belong to vampires.
Something sinister is going on. Dead bodies of gay men are often being found, their bodies completely drained An activist (Azeez) and her friend (Underwood) are trying to find out who is committing the murders. They discover that they are dealing with vampires. But there are two groups. One consists of Jordan (Donato) and his followers, who drink the blood of the ones who are afraid. The other consists of just two vampires: Layla (Jakubowski) and Prick (Garcia), who prey on people who hate.
The film includes elements that are often seen in vampire films. Plenty of blood, the heroes fighting vampires, vampires fighting each other, scenes of vampires doing what they do best: putting their fangs inside people's necks and there is also the stake-to-the-heart. Unsurprisingly, since this is a story about these kind of creatures, the action takes place at nighttime, mostly in dark, dirty alleys that are filled with graffiti.
This not not just a vampire story. The film begins with a voice-over of a conversation between a radio host and his guest. They are discussing hate crimes, while scenes of a man being beaten and a bloodied body are shown. It then cuts to a group of men dressed as drag queens walking towards a nightclub, where a bunch of preachers are waiting for them and proceed shout abuse to them. There is also a brief shot of a pride parade. The film shows drag artists as often as it shows vampires. It offers a look into the life of drag queens and raises awareness for hate crimes.
The actors who play vampires all deliver entertaining and scary performances. Donato is the most frightening and evil one, not willing to show mercy to anyone. The ones who portray mortals also do a good job.
The film is well directed, making effective uses of lighting techniques. The makeup is done very well and the fangs look very cool. Praise also goes to the stylized opening and closing credits.
The music is creepy, suspenseful and terrifying, matching the tone of the film perfectly.
This story is fun to watch. It offers a thrilling ride that includes humour and terror. It also raises the issue regarding injustice and hostility towards homosexuals.
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