nuwberout
This is not a vampire movie. This is a movie about a troubled young man with homicidal tendencies and delusions of being a vampire, either because of mental illness or as a way to understand himself as something more than just being a murderer. It is quite clear that Milo has led a troubled life of solitude and lack of love--mother kills herself, dad is not around, and his only other family, the brother, sits detached from reality always watching TV as his escape from the pain they have both endured (pay attention to the limited roles adults play in this movie and how even when an adult is present on screen you don't really see their faces.) When he finally finds love with Sofie, he has to acknowledge the truth of what he is: a violent killer. Instead of destroying the one pure thing he has, his relationship with her, he chooses instead to save her and to destroy himself (his ultimate plan.) This is what the title, The Transfiguration, refers to since a transfiguration (in biblical terms) is a complete change to a more spiritual and pure form. Milo thus, changes from a savage, remorseless killer to a compassionate, selfless savior. It really is a psychological film that centers around characters, not action. Bear that in mind, and you won't fall into the "this movie moves too slowly" trap.That being said, the blood sucking scenes are truly disturbing because they are indeed very "realistic" (main point director/writer is trying to convey by having Milo obsess about liking vampire movies to be realistic.) There is no fantasy in this movie, no mythical supernatural monster, just a real-life sick human boy killing and sucking the blood out of his murder vicitims and that is truly horrifying because it is rooted in reality.
captainblarg
OK yeah, this isn't a vampire movie. I just wanna clarify that one can, and should, ignore the title graphics showing the main character casting a Nosferatu shadow.With that out of the way, this isn't a bad film by any means. There's pathos, and some humor here and there. It calls strongly upon the reality-sucks school, which isn't among the styles of filmmaking that I enjoy a lot, but if you're into that then do see this. The actors have done a great job, and I think this movie is every bit as deserving as certain other "cult" classics, if not more so. I gave this one -1 for the reason that I probably wouldn't watch it again, however I'd recommend it to anybody who likes a slightly more intellectual film experience. I watched it around the same time I was re-visiting the series Dracula from 1991, and I mean... sun and moon, night and day. If your brain needs a rest real bad, check out the Final Destination franchise, for example, and skip Transfiguration.
JvH48
Seen at he IMAGINE film festival 2017 in Amsterdam. The story flows all the time and keeps your interest, but overall the dramatic developments are minimal, and the atmosphere embedding the two main topics, violence and social commentary, does not provide for anything new that we haven't seen already in many other movies.The only novel element is that Milo is a vampire, this time not someone who has to avoid daylight, and he also does not sleep in a coffin. Milo lives a more or less normal life with his older brother, who has apparently nothing more to do than watching TV all day long. Milo marks days on a calendar that he has to go "hunting". We saw a handwritten book with rules of engagement, e.g. that the victim must come instead of chasing him, but that was only a small fragment of a heavy stack of paper. We also see him several times bite randomly chosen victims, after which he is always somewhat nauseas, seemingly inherent in the process. How he became a vampire, is left in the dark (no pun intended), and what we see of his brother does suggest that is not something that runs in the family.We see less of Sophie, not even her house from the inside, when she e.g. lets Milo wait for her door when she has to pick up something, very different from her having access to Milo's house and even stays in his room for a few days. Not clear what it all means, if anything. Both walk outside the house like a couple, e.g. holding hands, but there is no sex involved as far as we see, despite of sleeping in the same bed and kissing each other frequently.All in all, if it really was the intention of the film makers to leave us confused, just as confused as both main protagonists are with respect to the world around them, this movie is a success however without a silver lining. It does not make us any wiser through the added elements of social commentary nor does it about violence or NYC's atmosphere, being important topics as suggested by the movie's website but I missed all of it.
Alt Africa
Genre: Drama / Horror- Release date: 21 April 2017 Cert: 15 A young boy Milo (Eric Ruffin) lives on a housing complex in NY, where he is bullied by his peers. His taste for blood and love of horror movies presents a lost soul. What is unclear is how, if at all he became a vampire. Milo finds the equally lost Sophie (Chloe Levine) and they form a relationship which is threatened when she discovers his dark secret. Sophie's character gives the lonely Milo someone to talk between plotting his next kill. There is the mention of an absent mother, subtlety hinting this may be the root of his "abnormality" and question if he is a vampire not just a deeply troubled boy who needs help. Director Michael O'Shea leaves you to make up your own mind. Ruffin's acting convinces us that there is some substance to this story. Stars Eric Ruffin and Chloe Levine. Director: Michael O'Shea. Written by Editor alt-Africa.com @alt_africa
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