A marquee horror movie dropped into your nearest cinemas and streaming services recently, but there’s still more fun to be had. Enter Adam Randall’s Night Teeth, which delivers a satisfying bite via a strong cast and the bright night lights of the City of Angels.
Night Teeth begins with a brief history of who really runs shit in Los Angeles- vampires. And I don’t mean politicians. Actual vampires, attempting to take over the city, formed a truce with the humans of the city many years ago after the Boyle Heights neighborhood fiercely fought back. Naturally, one of the bloodsuckers, Victor (Alfie Allen), got a little too big for his fangs and broke the truce by trespassing on the historic neighborhood. Caught by Jay (Raul Castillo), a member of the resistance, the feud ignites once again.
“Debby Ryan delivers her lines with a seductive, soft-spoken confidence that edges on sarcasm, ensnaring you with every word.”
However, Victor knows the vampire leaders won’t stand for such a rebellion, so he sends Zoe (Lucy Fry) and Blair (Debby Ryan) out to assassinate the old guard. Best laid plans go awry when, unbeknownst to them, Jay‘s younger brother Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr) arrives as the duo’s chauffeur for the evening. Completely clueless and just looking to earn a couple extra bucks while in college, Benny stumbles into the budding coup having no clue vampires even exist, or that his brother hunts them for a living. He finds out quickly that there is no way out, and must decide which side he’s on before he’s disposed of.
The premise of Night Teeth is a fascinating one where only the surface is scratched. Portraying vampires like the organized crime families of New York is an episode of The Sopranos I never knew I needed. Little time is spent explaining the situation viewers are dropped into and instead, all focus is placed on Zoe and Blair‘s wild night of murderous debauchery.
Fortunately, the film’s strongest asset is it’s cast. Debby Ryan carries Night Teeth with her performance as the less-sadistic of the two vampires turned assassins. Ryan delivers her lines with a seductive, soft-spoken confidence that edges on sarcasm, ensnaring you with every word. This balances well with Lucy Fry’s unhinged Zoe, whose violent impulses and vicious remarks label her untrustworthy from the beginning. We also get a fantastic scene with Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney masquerading as two of the elder vampire leaders. Their appearances are merely cameos in the truest sense of the word, which is highly disappointing, as Fox’s portrayal of a vampire boss leaves you pleading for more than just one scene.
Night Teeth takes a centuries-old monster we’ve known since our youngest days and places it into our world of lazy creature comforts. While certainly not the first film to do so, it’s still amusing to see. Channeling every middle-aged man’s dream, Victor has his favorite drink piped in and readily available on tap. Unfortunately for most, it’s not [insert absurdly bizarre craft beer name], but blood on tap is a touch more impressive. Instead of transforming into bats, these vampires hire chauffeurs and demand better music be played on the radio. Though it’s been explored before, it’s an interesting concept that would have benefited from being fleshed out a little more than what we get.
Another highlight of Night Teeth is Eben Bolter’s cinematography. The vibrant colors showcasing the riches of Los Angeles leave you feeling like you owe someone money. A few questionable choices were made, however, as several overhead shots of Benny’s SUV speeding away from a chaotic seen appear like they were inspired by those old internet games you couldn’t play because you didn’t have the latest version of Adobe Shockwave. Nevertheless, Night Teeth‘s stunning visuals coupled with Debbie Ryan & co’s performances, help this modern vampire tale overcome an underutilized plot for a satisfying viewing. Especially during this wonderfully sinister time of year 🎃🦇
You can sink your fangs into Night Teeth on Netflix beginning October 20, 2021. Let us know what you thought of this modern vampire flick over on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, and in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord. Not a social media fan? Get more horror delivered straight to your inbox by joining the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter.
