Stake Land (2010)

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The most dangerous thing is to be alive.
Director: Jim Mickle
Writer: Nick Damici & Jim Mickle
Cast: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Kelly McGillis, Daniel Harris & Michael Cerveris
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Special Features: Two Commentary Tracks, Going for the Throat: The Making of Stake Land, Character Prequel Films, Video Diaries & Toronto International Film Festival Q&A Footage

Stake Land is as frustrating a film as I’ve seen in a while. Part of the reason is because it’s been hyped since it was being screened on the festival circuit, but the bigger part is because I completely understand why people praise it, yet I can’t seem to appreciate it for those reasons. I definitely like the film, but I wouldn’t say it’s the “American horror film of the year” or the “best vampire movie in years.” I would say it’s a painfully slow film that still manages to do a lot right despite its pacing and lack of character development. But what’s even more frustrating is the more I think about it all the more I actually like it. I just don’t necessarily want to sit down and watch it again anytime soon.

America has no more. A vampire pandemic has spread across the country, and for survivors, life is hard. Only small pockets of people remain. On top of all this, the Brotherhood, a violent group of fanatic fundamentalists, sprung up in the wake of the apocalypse – it’s not dangerous just at night anymore.

On a rainy night, a family is butchered on their farm by a vampire. As his dying request, the father asks Mister (Damici), the stoic vampire hunter that found their farm and killed their attacker that night, to take and protect his teenage son, Martin (Paolo). With Mister and Martin now together, and as Martin learns to survive in a world where nothing is easy, they travel from lockdown to lockdown as they make their way north to a rumored safe haven known as New Eden.

Stake Land is aesthetically beautiful. The cinematography successfully captures the protagonists journey from the warm, sunny fields down south to the cold, mountainous woodlands up north (the isolation also sets in better the further north they travel – vampire or not, people don’t like chilly weather). The “lockdowns,” which are small, secured towns, seem genuinely lived in, and the entire post-apocalyptic world feels authentic. It has Western-y vibe I like where the “hero and his sidekick” ride in, partake in some booze and possible prostitution, and then ride out. It’s full of bartering and small establishments, and Mister is truly seen as a hero, flashing the bag of fangs he’s collected and receiving his due respect. And with all of this, director Jim Mickle creates a low-budget, post-apocalyptic dystopia that’s easy to buy into – a feat by itself.

In many ways this is also an optimistic film. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a largely bleak affair, but it has spots where a little hope shines through. People may measure time by their last encounter with a vampire or the equally dangerous Brotherhood, but they still find moments of happiness where all the outside threats fade away. When Belle (Harris) stands alone in a dark tavern slowly rubbing her swollen belly, it’s a sad yet hopeful moment. And the entire film embodies this mix of emotions. The vampires are also a welcome and entirely necessary departure from the pale, gothic heartthrobs everyone’s wife or girlfriend wants to bang these days. They’re unintelligent and driven solely by a need to feed (sorta zombie-ish), but they’re the savage and beastly horrors the film needs. Jeff Grace’s score is another huge success – most of which is available on YouTube. It’s understated by itself with its big, brassy swells few and far between, but it serves as a beautiful accompaniment to the film.

But a film starts with its characters, and while Nick Damici, who’s mere presence has gravity, and Connor Paolo perform well in their roles, I didn’t care much for Mister and Martin. I thought their establishment was immediate – Mister’s a gruff drifter with a heart of gold, and Martin’s a boy struggling to become a man – but there’s little development afterwards. Martin eventually comes of age, so this isn’t the film’s biggest problem, as this is ultimately Martin’s film. It’s his family that’s slaughtered, it’s his voiceovers that propel the film and it’s his arc that the film’s built on. And speaking of Martin’s voiceovers, I thought they made it seem like I was being told about shit more than being shown it. When you add in the film’s tedious pace, I was actually bored by it all on several occasions. I know many people loved the film and could settle into the film’s post-apocalyptic isolation, but I simply couldn’t.
So, with all of the above established, I’m actually disappointed by the fact l “ike” not “love” Stake Land. I’ve added it to my Netflix queue in the hopes it’ll show up in a few months or so and make a bigger impression. In the meantime, I’d recommend it, but if you’re a little bored when it’s all said and done, don’t say I didn’t warn you.