By Tim Nacey
Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to be provided an access code to see this movie early, but the stream, unfortunately, cut out just before the ending. I missed about 5 minutes, which I hope will not have any bearing on my opinion on the rest of the film.
I’ve never worked as a chauffeur, but I have to imagine that one of my worst nightmares as one would be getting wrapped up with criminals and dragged across the city as they embark on a campaign of mayhem and violence.
That’s the exact situation that Benny Perez (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) finds himself in. What makes it even worse is that these particular criminals happen to be vampires.
In “Night Teeth” director Adam Randall imagines a world where vampires have lived among humans for centuries by toeing the line, feeding only on volunteers, and amassing huge amounts of wealth throughout their endless lives. Everything’s great until one of the leaders, Victor (Alfie Allen), decides to make a power grab, attempting to kill off the other leaders and creating a new world order for vampire-kind. This is the situation poor Benny — who only wanted to earn some extra money by covering his brother’s limo for the night — finds himself trapped in.
This particular take on the vampire myth isn’t particularly inspired, but it’s anchored by really fun performances from Debby Ryan, who plays a vampire named Blair and, in particular, Lucy Fry, who, in a Margo Robbie-less world, would have made a fantastic Harley Quinn. The glee with which her character Zoe inflicts acts of campy violence on unsuspecting victims is truly a joy to watch and keeps this movie from being the boring young adult novel slog that it could have been.
The best thing in this movie, though, is the way it uses its setting. The nightlife in Los Angeles, while not totally nonexistent, is not as pronounced as you find in, say, New York. Aside from the isolated parties and clouds that Benny, Blair and Zoe visit, everything takes on an eerie quiet and is bathed in flashy pinks and yellows, lending the city streets an otherworldly quality that keeps things feeling just the tiniest bit creepy while still maintaining the campy tone that this movie revels in.
Overall, I don’t think I’d call “Night Teeth” a must-watch movie, but with its goofy style — over the top violence and corny one-liners run rampant — as well as a fun take on the Los Angeles party scene as well as the city’s wealthy class, you could definitely do worse if you’re looking for a break from the standard horror fare.
