STAKE LAND (2010)
What do you do when you're in a pandemic and riots erupt all across the country? You watch a movie! Hey, I'm doing my part. By sheer coincidence, the plot of Stake Land bears striking similarities to life in 2020. A vampire contagion has reconditioned the guts of America, and from where lead protagonist Martin is standing, the apocalypse has arrived. Watching the news, this place certainly feels apocalyptic. Oh, I'm talking about reality again. For you HTML nerds out there, I need a synopsis tag to denote when I'm dipping in and out of "plot summary" mode. {story} Just as precarious as the vampires, sects of religious fanatics continuously stymie efforts to find peace (not to mention a dry, warm bed). {/story}
Y'know, something like that. Anyway, Stake Land is a tense, portentous joint. The atmosphere is grim, and director Jim Mickle does an admirable job of reminding the viewer where his fare falls on the genre spectrum. It's a rather particular affection, but I like it when horror proudly avouches, "I'm horror! Spooky, spooky! Boo!" It probably wouldn't use those words, huh? You know what I mean, damn it! But I digress...again. The acting is sharp. Connor Paolo is subtly multitudinous as Martin. I dug how he pulled off his character's arc, as the development felt natural. Co-writer Nick Damici kicks ass as Mister, a stoic, yet ass-kicking ass kicker. The pacing is fine. Essentially, everything is fine, though I hear that the sequel mucks it up.
Join us next time when we found out if Dom reviews Stake Land II.*
*He doesn't.
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