Retro Review: "Temptation"

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Originally posted on Film Arcade on 10/30/2010. 

Lately there really hasn’t been any vampire films out there. With “Twilight” setting the subgenre back years and the “Underworld” being the guilty pleasure that it is, there really hasn’t been that great vampire film that combines the elements of gothic imagery with a dark story.

Temptation” is the debut feature film, from director Catherine Taylor. Isabel (Caroline Haines) is a beautiful young and professional woman, who is out on the town with her friends and had one too many to drink. She gets a ride from a stranger after wild night. Unknown to her, that person is serial rapist. She tries to out run him, but he catches up to her. Then Aurelie (Rachael Waters), a mysterious woman, save her from this person. Unbeknownst to her, she bites her and turns her into a vampire. Now, Isabel has 48 hours to decide to give in to the ecstasy and lustful cravings or end it all before its too late.

I’ve seen many foreign film for this site and on my own time. There’s always that foreign independent film that’s able to grab your attention It’s even more special, especially if it’s a vampire film because that‘s my most favorite horror subgenre. In age where vampire films rarely any bite to them, it was very nice to see a film that has a bite to it and then some.

“Temptation” is most gothic vampire film that I’ve seen in a very long time. Catherine Taylor’s direction was dead on. One of the things that makes this very different and very good, there is very dark and gothic atmosphere to the story. I liked how she a good job keeping that tone throughout the whole film. She does that through gothic imagery and eroticism. Those elements are done in a way that it doesn’t feel exploitive and delivers its purpose to bring a gloom and doom feeling, which is the film‘s tone. It’s something that’s been lacking in recent vampire films, since “Interview with A Vampire” came out sixteen years ago. Another thing that Taylor does very well, she is able to get the acting to fit the film’s tone, especially with her leads. I liked, how she was to get her main actresses to make their characters very dark. It really adds to the film’s tone.

The screenplay written by Julianne White does a very good job in making the everything that goes on, so dark and gloomy. One of the things that she does very well is creating a story that’s very gothic. I like how she spends the majority of the story focusing on the drastic changes that are happening to Isabel and Aurelie’s obsession that she maybe her long lost lover. It brings the darkness that’s needed to make this very gothic and gets you drawn into the dark atmosphere. Another thing that I liked about this screenplay was the fact it’s different from the “Underworld” and “Twilight’s” of the world. Instead of having the atmosphere either be chaotic and dull, White makes the atmosphere have very dark. That’s something that has been lacking in vampire films recently. By having that feel, it draws you into the dark world of the film and gets you caught up in all of depravity that takes place. I wished more horror films would go the same route.

In an age where glittering vampires rule the big screen, it’s nice to actually see a vampire film that doesn’t cave into the mainstream film mentality that the subgrene has been putting out as of lately. This film should be considered as the gold standard when it come to vampire films. “Temptation” is a gothic vampire horror film that has a lot bite.

Review Rating: Five Stars.