There is something about Vampariah that feels like a missed opportunity. As well-known as the vampire myth is – and filmmaker Matthew Abaya doesn’t deviate too far from the pointy-toothed, winged killers that are most familiar to us all – there is still originality to be found, as films such as Let the Right One In (2008) prove. And while Vampariah does contain a mildly refreshing energy, it quickly becomes bogged down with miserably murky visuals and some rather preposterous set pieces.
The central premise, however, is a relatively interesting one. Both leads are empowered female characters, who each have their own reasons for embarking on a bloody journey of vengeance. The majority of the male characters don’t fare too well, and in truth, neither does mankind as a whole as the film rails against a perceived misogyny; something rather topical. This energy present in both Mahal (Kelly Lou Dennis) and her counterpart Bampinay (Aureen Almario) strives to elevate Vampariah from its stagnant blandness it languidly dwells in, but through a combination of poor acting (we’re being rather polite here) and leaden exposition their stories become little more than a weary memory.
And this exposes the central problem: Vampariah simply looks and feels cheap. Instead of stripping the film down to its essence, and more interesting elements, Abaya’s ambition drives the film to inevitably fail. The world-building is both promising in its stylish direction, and fatally flawed through a lack of any real depth. The visuals throughout are troubling, with CGI more akin to a first-time student film, and there is a sound edit that varies widely in clarity.
For hardcore fans of the vampire genre there is perhaps some interest to be found in the story’s inspiration derived from Philippine folklore. The idea of “aswang”, an ancient race of vampires, and there being an elite vampire hunting squad, is interesting and not a common one. But sadly, the flaws weigh too heavily on the film’s efforts and sadly render Vampariah simply too messy for the casual viewer.
VAMPARIAH / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MATTHEW ABAYA / STARRING: KELLY LOU DENNIS, AUREEN ALMARIO, ALEX BENJAMIN, BO! CAMPBELL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
