**This post contains spoilers**
The Story- Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) eagerly fills in for his brother, Jay (Raul Castillo) as a chauffeur for an all night job. Benny is tasked with taking Blaire (Debby Ryan) and Zoe (Lucy Fry) to various parties throughout Los Angeles. But a seemingly simple job turns into a fight for survival, when it’s revealed Zoe and Blaire are vampires.
Following orders from their leader, Victor (Alfie Allen), Zoe and Blaire kill Victor’s marked targets, while Benny is forced to be the driver. Secrets about Jay’s double life are exposed, while Benny is caught in the middle of the disastrous fallout from a long-standing truce between humans and vampires.
My Thoughts- There’s not enough I can say about Lucy Fry. She’s simply superb in Night Teeth. Zoe has a delightfully evil persona. She’s an unhinged rebel, and Zoe genuinely loves her lifestyle as a villain. She embodies the power, the superiority, and the untouchable status that comes with being a vampire. Lucy Fry’s vibrant presence and charisma are undeniable, a true show stealing performance without any dull moments.
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. plays his role well as Benny. He’s the nerdy and shy guy, who looks up to and wants to prove himself to Jay, the big brother he clearly admires and has a ton of respect for.
I kind of wish Alexander Ludwig’s Rocko had more screen time. Rocko is one of the more eccentric and nutty vampire leaders, and there’s no denying Ludwig’s character had a lot of potential. Alfie Allen is a suitable main villain. Victor is pompous and power hungry. He’s a true narcissist, so it’s easy to see why he has a strong bond with Zoe.
The friendship dynamic between Zoe and Blaire adds a good emotional layer to Night Teeth. Zoe is hot-headed and a loose cannon, but Blaire is easily the more level headed person in the duo. Remember, it was Blaire’s idea to keep Benny alive after they found out he wasn’t Jay. Zoe wanted to kill him immediately, but Blaire came up with the plan to use him as a bargaining chip. Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry shared good chemistry together, and their friendship is one the bigger highlights here.
I’m a sucker for fine details and lore. Night Teeth’s story for the history behind the truce and the war between humans and vampires is simple, airtight, and effective. Strict rules are set in place, hotels are used as feeding grounds for vampires, but the participants must give their consent. Ruby jewels are used as a sort of access card to gain entry into vampire activities, and a cop is clearly on Victor’s payroll as an enforcer. Night Teeth really makes you believe in the tense relationship between humans and vampires. There’s a violent underworld that’s one stupid mistake away from falling apart, and causing irreversible chaos in everyone’s day to day lives.
Vampires are forbidden from entering Boyle Heights. It’s one of the big rules, and of course Victor breaks one of the big three to start all the trouble. Jay’s character is the perfect representative for Boyle Heights. He’s the stoic tough guy, with a fighting spirit, and you know he’ll walk through fire to put a stop to Victor’s madness.
Victor is clearly a strong adversary, surviving a point blank gunshot to the head from Jay. Once you get to know Victor, his reasons for killing off his fellow vampires shouldn’t surprise you. Eva (Sydney Sweeney) and Grace (Megan Fox) are his superiors in the vampire world. They want answers for his actions. Victor’s response? He’s tired of playing things safe with the humans, when vampires should be their absolute masters. And you might’ve already guessed this, but of course Victor wants more power, and to put himself in a position, where he won’t have to answer to anyone. The scene where Victor explains everything to Zoe and Grace shows how arrogant and foolish Victor truly is. He was willing to throw away a harmonious truce to feed his own ego.
Blaire eventually turning on Victor and Zoe wasn’t a big surprise. Benny had googly eyes for Blaire during their first interaction. The seeds were planted early on, and you could see it coming, as Blaire forms a stronger bond with Benny throughout the movie. They tried, but I couldn’t buy into the shock of the swerve, because it was clear Blaire was going to choose Benny over Zoe and Victor at some point.
It’s obvious what’s going to happen and how things are going to play out during the finale. Still, it’s a satisfying final act with no real wrinkles and everything makes sense. Fry did a wonderful job of selling Zoe’s heartbroken reaction, when she finally realizes Blaire is firmly on Benny’s side. Benny comes up with a clever plan that kills Zoe, and Jay gets revenge for Victor killing his girlfriend, Maria (Ash Santos) by tackling Jay into the sunlight. The true villains got what they deserved, Jay gets his revenge, and Blaire and Benny move on to the next chapter of their lives.
Night Teeth is a spirited and sleek vampire horror film. The blood and gore throughout the movie is not over the top or too intense. Sometimes the blood bath approach can be used to build up the severity of a vampiric threat, but it’s not always necessary.
The door is wide open for a sequel, with Benny and Blaire together as vampires (Victor bit and turned Benny during the final fight). There’s a lot to build on with Benny and Blaire, and Benny fighting with Jay in the upcoming war, but I wouldn’t be upset if a sequel never happens. They tied up enough loose ends here. The cliffhanger at the end is the kind of cliffhanger that’ll give you the impression that a sequel COULD happen, but at the same time, the story doesn’t necessarily need to continue.
Rating- 6/10
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