Director: Oz Rodriguez
Written by: Oz Rodriguez and Blaise Hemingway
Starring: Jaden Michael, Gerald W. Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV, Sarah Gadon, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Shea Whigham, Coco Jones, Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez, Chris Redd, Vladimir Caamaño, Jeremie Harris, Adam David Thompson, Judy Marte, Richard Bekins, and Zoe Saldaña
Runtime: 1h 25min
Rating: PG-13
Our Rating: ★★★½
For those of us who are of a certain age, we grew up with Monster Squad, The Lost Boys, Stand by Me, hell even the kids in The Sandlot were having adventures. They were either fighting classic monsters like Dracula and the Mummy or, they were even taking on a rapid Cujo-esque bulldog to get their baseball back. In recent years there was Summer of ‘84 and Super 8, again kids having adventures while fighting monsters and aliens.
One thing missing from these films are diverse characters and settings outside of the suburbs and small towns. One film that attempted to change this up was 2011’s Attack the Block, which is a British science fiction comedy horror film written and directed by Joe Cornish and starring John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost.
Just in time for Halloween 2020 we get director Oz Rodriguez’s Vampires vs The Bronx released on to wilds of Netflix’s streaming service:
A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from a band of vampires.
Rodriguez stated in an interview he wanted to bring kids adventure nostalgia back, while also bringing diversity to the screen.
“Growing up in the Dominican Republic I watched many adventure films with kids that didn’t look like me. Moving to New York and experiencing the rich multiculturalism of the city inspired me to write a new kind of adventure story. There’s a lack of stories reflecting some of the communities of the city, especially those dealing with gentrification. I’m excited for kids to hopefully see themselves represented on the screen as our heroes save their marginalized community,” said Rodriguez.
An unspoken character in the film is clearly the borough of The Bronx.
“Shooting in The Bronx was a wonderful experience. The neighborhood is a character in the film, and we wanted to showcase the beauty of the borough. The energy and encouragement of the community was especially helpful on our most challenging days. It’s very exciting to share this movie with the whole world on Netflix,” said Rodriguez. “My family and friends in the Dominican Republic will be able to see it at the same time as young kids in the Bronx. I hope it gets loud.”
In recent years, the onetime nick-named “the Boogie Down Bronx” or “El Bronx” has been grappling with the effects of gentrification. In simple terms gentrification is outsiders moving into different areas and changing the neighborhood’s culture, making them less unique in a way. In even simpler terms – Hipster, they become hipster. The flow of The Bronx is one of the many great elements shown in Vampires vs The Bronx. There are the sounds, the vibes of the borough, the Spanish speaking mixed with slang, and the eclectic blend of people and characters that set the tone for this film.
The primary cast includes a group of kids of Dominican, Puerto Rican, Haitian and African American descent, much like the demographics that make up The Bronx. In Vampires vs The Bronx these kids are not only trying to save their neighborhood from vampires but from gentrification. Young actor Jaden Michael who plays Miguel said he saw how different the film was when he read the script.
“While reading Vampires vs The Bronx, I saw something special. It was a sort of quirky film that had lots of twists and messages. One of the first things I thought of after reading the script was, This is “Scary Movie”, but in the Bronx!,” said Michael. “However, what I think really drew me into the story was the connection Oz (the director) was making about gentrification in black and brown communities, and how it affects everyone from the priest to the “hooligans.” Seeing gentrification change my own neighborhood, and force culture out, made me have a really special and intimate connection with the script.”
“Vampires vs The Bronx is about staying true to who you are and fighting for what you believe in, whether it’s fighting against gentrification or fighting vampires,” said Gregory Diaz IV who plays Luis.
The adult actors in the film are some heavy hitters, including Cliff “Method Man” Smith Shea Whigham, Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez, Chris Redd and Zoe Saldaña.
The film itself certainly shows the influence films like The Lost Boys and Blade had on Rodriguez. In fact, there is one scene I am sure is a direct nod to The Lost Boys. Aside from the cool cultural moments, there are some legit humorous moments. Chris Redd (SNL) makes a funny appearance in the film as well. There is also a moment that involves a Timberland boot being thrown at vamp during a fight. That is not on the lore list, but hey you work with what you got. As far as horror elements go, there is a body count of eight. There is a vampire brood, vampire flight and fangs and a sufficient amount of old school lore. Vampires vs The Bronx is done well enough for a PG-13 film, that is targeting a new generation of horror lovers. I cannot wait to watch this with my 13-year-old niece, because I have a feeling, she is going to love it.
HorrorFatale.com says watch it!
Vampires vs The Bronx is currently streaming on a Netflix account near you.
