Scream Bloody Entertainment

The most dangerous thing is to be alive.

An orphaned teenager is taken under the wing of a mysterious vampire hunter after an epidemic has swept through all of America, all but destroying civilisation and turning infected people into vampires.

- thoroughly entertaining
- interesting blend between the vampire and the post-apocalyptic genre
- some noteworthy performances
- the gore and special effects are mostly good
- solid cinematography
- fine score
- fitting conclusion

- nothing that hasn't been done before
- ridden with cliches typical of the genre
- unnecessary voice-over narration

- high violence and gore
- moderate scares and frightening scenes
- moderate nudity and sexual themes
- moderate profanity

- religion always finds a way to screw things up
- throwing vampires out of helicopters is the newest in military warfare
- some dead people look incredibly alive
- don't leave evil men to the vampires, they only get more evil and powerful

Stake Land delivers a grim and unrelenting take on the vampire genre by successfully integrating it within a post-apocalyptic story to create a highly potent and refreshing mix of horror. Backed by solid performances from Kelly McGillis, Michael Cerveris and especially Nick Damici, surprisingly high production values, and a well-constructed narrative, it's easy to forgive the film's derivative nature and small missteps and appreciate it for being a refreshing and effective horror ride in times when such things are few and far between.

horror meter: 4 cold-blooded stars (out of 5)