BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL (REVIEW)

Dir. Chris Baugh

Reviewer. Martyn Wakefield

An Irish village is bestowed upon by an ancient vampire hungry for blood awoken by a clumsy construction family. From the outset BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL isn't afraid to draw blood, and there's plenty of it. Within 5 minutes there's references to AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and DRACULA, this film knows it's horror and plants it's stake firmly in the ground to mark it's place as a serious horror movie for genre fans to enjoy.

Chris Baugh's follow up to BAD DAY FOR THE CUT is a different beast, it's bloodier, nastier and surprisingly a hell of a lot funnier. Where many vampire films take the dark and well trodden path paved by Bram Stoker, Baugh's script is injected with a warm humour that never detracts from the terror and genuine horror on display.

The relationship between father and son, Eugene and Francis never feels forced and a few dad jibes here and there pierce the tension just nicely enough to keep you rooting for the boys night of chaos. As a horror/comedy it sways more to the horror side of things with humour written naturally into the characters, this is more SEVERANCE then SHAUN OF THE DEAD and that's certainly no bad thing, especially when the horror is as tense as it is here.

The creature effects are some of the best we've seen in the genre and for such a relatively small film, especially in a year where we have CANDYMAN, HALLOWEEN KILLS and the return of James Wan, holds up against the best. There's plenty of blood from this beast and it's spread thick and fast as the vampire claims it's hunger against the village inhabitants. Where many vampire films become zombie films, there's a fresh monster feel with BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL which stands above the rest putting this as the best vampire movie of the year.