Review: Daylight Fades

Vampires in love… yet again – but this time with a more realistic edge.

When I was sent this to review, my first thought was ‘here we go again’. The PR for Daylight Fades (probably purposely) screams Twilight and Vampire Diaries, which is a bit of a shame because this movie is actually trying to do something different with the subject matter.

When Johnny (Matthew Stiller) meets Elizabeth (Rachel Miles) and they start seeing each other, both feel like their lives have taken an upturn. Johnny’s always been painfully shy with women, while Elizabeth lives with her downtrodden mother and overbearing step-father. However, scared the relationship is going to end in disaster like all her others, Elizabeth panics and breaks things off. It’s only when Johnny is involved in a car accident and on the verge of death that she realises what a mistake she’s made. Stepping in, Elizabeth’s secret vampire father turns Johnny to save him, causing all kinds of problems in the process.

Slickly shot, Daylight Fades does at least address the reality of what it might be like to be brought back this way without having any say in the matter – and for this reason alone called to mind something like Near Dark. Yes, there are the obligatory brooding sequences, victims getting picked up in bars and clubs, plus some pure soap plot twists, but the characters never come across as two-dimensional. Their reactions to events are unpredictable and therefore believable, even if it does lead to one of the major disappointments of the film: its downbeat and puzzling ending.

Verdict: Not quite fang-tastic, but better than your average Twi-shite knock-off. 7/10 

Paul Kane
Click here to order Daylight Fades from Amazon.co.uk