Tagline
“Your neighbor is a vampire. Nobody believes you.”
The Review
Tom Holland's Fright Night is the quintessential 1980s vampire film — a smart, funny, and genuinely scary story about a teenager who discovers his new neighbor is a vampire and must enlist a washed-up TV horror host to help destroy him. Chris Sarandon's Jerry Dandrige is the suavest, most seductive vampire since Christopher Lee's Dracula, and Roddy McDowall's Peter Vincent — a coward who must find real courage — is the heart of the film. The practical transformation effects are spectacular, and Holland balances suburban comedy with genuine menace. The nightclub sequence, with its seduction and transformation, is pure 1980s horror perfection.
Fun Fact
Roddy McDowall's Peter Vincent was named after Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, the two great horror actors of the previous generation. Chris Sarandon did his own stunts for the climactic confrontation. The film's success launched a franchise including a sequel, a 2011 remake with Colin Farrell, and a lasting cult following.
Score Breakdown
Total Score
20/30
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