Dampyr Hits Netflix

Dampyr Movie Review

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Dampyr is a new addition to Netflix that was originally an Italian release in October 2022. It is a vampire horror movie that I ended up watching by accident of sorts. My son put it on to kill time while having dinner and then I got intrigued and decided to finish it. Dampyr stars Wade Briggs as the main character, Harlan; Frida Gustavsson as Tesla; Stuart Martin as Kurjak and David Morrissey as the villain, Gorka. It tells the story of Harlan who is unaware of his legacy as a Dampyr which is the son of a vampire who has the power to kill other vampires, much like Blade. He pretends to be a vampire hunter conning people with his sidekick, Yuri, to make a living. Harlan doesn’t even believe in vampires until he is forced to come face to face with the reality of not only vampires existing but also how he fits into the puzzle. 


I have stopped watching horror movies on purpose for a long time now; however, this was not giving me scary as much as it was more of an action/thriller type movie that happens to have vampires in it which made it an easy watch for me. With that being said, it was a good movie to watch at home if you are into the vampire genre. I imagine since this is an Italian production, I wouldn’t be very familiar with any of the actors’ works which I am not although David Morrissey did look familiar. Nevertheless, the acting was well done. It was not spectacular but the level you would expect from a horror movie. The pacing and draw-in are commendable because I actually had no intention of watching it but  I decided to continue and was kept entertained. 


The problem that I did have with it was the villain, Gorka, played by Morrissey was not villainous enough in my opinion. He had all the right lines and material and acting skills, I just think it may not have been the best casting or maybe it was the makeup. I am not sure what the exact thing was but it did not come together for me. In comparison to one of the other characters, Stefan, who embodied a terrible person. The actor that played him really sold it. More on Stefan in the spoilers. 


All in all this movie is a solid 7 for me. It is not let me rush to the theaters but if you are at home looking for something to watch and you like the vampire genre then you will be okay with this selection. I am actually looking forward to a sequel if they decide to go that route. 


SPOILERS AHEAD


Tesla was badass. She did not say much but really did not have a need to. I think the way they wrote her was just right. Most of the characters are pretty superficial and one dimensional but I feel like although they did not reveal much about her they built some background to give her room for growth. There was another layer to her besides being a slave to Gorka. Now Harlan does kill Gorka and I can only assume they are not following other vampire moves that kill off anyone from the bloodline when your maker dies. Because she was still alive after Gorka died. I also speculated that this was because she broke free from his control. 


Stefan, played by Ionut Grama, did his thing. I really have to attribute it to the writing and his way of being a terrible person nonchalantly. It started off with him killing an old man just because he was ranting and raving. Then he went on to turn on Kurjak, his commanding officer and convinced everyone else to abandon their soldier duties. I really did want him to die a horrible death but then Gorka abducts him and turns him into one of his vampire slaves. He was a good villain. He got a chance to continue being despicable. Eventually, he was dealt with but it’s not clear to me that he was actually killed. I like that he was set on fire but did he die? 


The ending definitely leaves things open for a sequel and I would be there because I want to know about what his father, Draka, is really up to and what’s the real story behind the witches who save him. Also, I don’t mind watching the trio, Harlan, Tesla, and Kurjak, go off on some vampire-hunting adventure. 


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