PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When it comes to your standard movie monsters like zombies werewolves and vampires, its hard to find an original idea, as they’ve been used so much. It is a rare treat when you find a film that manages to tell a different kind of story than usual, and that’s exactly what Alice and the Vampire Queen is.
Synopsis
Alice Oldman is an ex-con struggling to overcome the scars from her past. Then one night a dark stranger gives her an offer she cannot refuse. Make one special dish for his boss, the Vampire Queen
Alice and the Vampire Queen was written and directed by Dan Lantz (Bloodrunners). The film stars Shelby Hightower (Freak), Graham Wolfe (Hayride to Hell), Rachel Aspen, Brenna Carnuccio (A Party to Die For), Aaron Dalla Villa (The Wrath of Becky), Chris James Boylan (Bloodrunners), and Xavier Michaels.
Here’s a look at the poster art!
Alice and the Vampire Queen took me by surprise, as it’s a vampire film that attempts and succeeds at doing something new. Considering it was written and directed by Dan Lantz, who directed the excellent Ice T starring Bloodrunners, a gangster vampire film set during prohibition, I really shouldn’t have been surprised. The film follows Alice, a recent parolee who killed her abusive husband, who gets offered the chance of a lifetime: a high-paying chef job. The catch? It’s for the Vampire Queen.
Alice is played by Shelby Hightower, who does an excellent job. Alice is a survivor. She suffered years of abuse and not only survived but learned to fight back. Alice is an extremely relatable character. I feel like we have all found ourselves in abusive situations in our lives to a certain extent. Alice finds herself in a situation where she will be taken care of and given everything she needs in life, but she soon realizes that she will be the Queen’s prisoner with no chance of having the freedom she craves.
Along for the ride is Charles, played by Graham Wolfe, who is the top human who does the Queen’s bidding, such as stalking Alice for months to see if she is the right person for the job. Charles is very charming, but it’s impossible to tell where his loyalties lie. Though he tends to look after Alice, it’s not clear if it’s out of affection or because it’s his job. During the day, he’s the king of the castle while during the night he is a high paid lackey.
The film mixes some dark comedy with some gory moments and it works well. I enjoyed Alice’s interactions with the vampires, as she’s kind of terrified but remains calm for the most part around them. She’s also not above defending herself if she has to. There are also some genuinely hilarious moments between her and the Queen’s bestie and a recently turned vampire. The age gap between them leads to some really funny dialogue exchanges. Alice and the Vampire Queen managed to shock me a couple of times with some developments I didn’t see coming, including the ending itself. It left me with some questions that I hope could be answered in a sequel.
Final Thoughts
Alice and the Vampire Queen is a film that manages to do something different in the vampire subgenre, which isn’t easy to do. It’s got a great cast, an interesting story, and some solid humor. I enjoyed it immensely.
