So Vam – Movie Review
Director: Alice Maio Mackay
Writer: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson (Screenplay)
Cast
- Xai
- Grace Hyland
- Chris Asimos
- Erin Paterson
- Patty Glavieux (Mortal Kombat)
Plot: After being kidnapped by a predatory old vampire, Kurt becomes part of a gang of rebellious vampires who feed on bigots and abusers.
Runtime: 1 Hour 13 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: So Vam starts as a bullied homosexual high school student Kurt (Xai) finds himself struggling through each day. Constantly bullied, he only has one friend Katie (Paterson). This changes when a predatory vampire bites Kurt before April (Hyland) saves him by turning him into a vampire.
April takes Kurt under her wing, teaching him how to survive as a vampire and the target for feeding. They target abusers and bigots, trying to clean up the world as they get through the problems they see.
Verdict on So Vam
Characters
Kurt is a bullied homosexual high school student. He gets tormented in and out of school and never gets support from his father. He has one friend in the world until he is attacked by a vampire. This turns Kurt into a vampire who must learn to navigate the streets in his new form, giving him a stronger fight back against the bullies.
Katie is Kurt’s best friend, the one person that defends him at school and is there to talk to. She sees the change and starts feeling more distant from the one friend she had in life too.
April is the vampire that saved Kurt, teaching him how to survive as a vampire in modern society. She is the strongest in her group and the one that will explain the biggest problems Kurt will face.
Landon is a rival vampire; he hunts for anyone having no morals on who he targets to feed on. He is widely considered the most dangerous vampire in the area.
Performances
Xai takes the leading role, showing how his character deals with bullying and the change he goes through. One that shows a stronger side to him, one he never knew he had.
Erin Paterson does a great job in the best friend role, one that shows her character supporting, but also feeling left out in.
Grace Hyland brings the confident calm vampire to life in the movie. She will demand the screen as the mentor to survive.
Story
The story follows a bullied high school student that gets transformed into a vampire. He joins a group that looks to feed on abusive bigots to clean up the streets. Finding himself in the middle of a battle between two sides, as he discovers himself.
This story is a new twist on the vampire sub-genre of horror, leaning towards comedy more than anything else. It will highlight how growing up bullied for being yourself can push people over the limit. The story doesn’t back down on showing the abuse homosexual people go through on a daily basis. At the core, it will have the battle between two different types of vampires to continue living in the world.
Themes
So Vam is a horror comedy that tackles the serious issue of abuse. It will show the good vampires taking out the problems in the world in a battle against the bad vampires who will feed on anyone. The comedy is from how Kurt sees the changes, as well as poking fun at the older vampire traits. When it comes to the special effects, it is the biggest weakness in the movie, because they look very low-budget and CGI.
Where to Watch: So Vam is going to be available on Shudder.
Final Thoughts – So Vam is a fun enough vampire comedy, having its own unique style throughout.
