The Vourdalak
Proving that Sesame Street’s The Count isn’t the only vampire puppet still able to get work, The Vourdalak adds to an already strong year for horror with creative visuals and an ominous sense of gloom that nearly rivals that of Longlegs.
Based on the 1839 novella by A.K. “Cousin of Leo” Tolstoy, the feature debut from co-writer/director Adrien Beau wrings effective supernatural period horror from the plight of the Marquis d’Urfé (Kacey Mottet Klein), a representative of the French royal court whose diplomatic mission is cut short in the Serbian countryside at the hands of Turkish raiders.
Alone and afraid, he makes his way to a nearby house where an unhappy multigenerational family resides and seeks a horse that will return him to France. Though Beau’s gorgeous colorful visuals, excellent use of forest shadows and fog, and candle-lit interiors that never feel dim suggest a gothically edenic setting, it’s clear from the family’s behavior that hope is long gone in these parts and good things will not happen while the Marquis is around.
With his comically white powdered face, the Frenchman looks a bit ghoulish himself and fits right in with the spooky surroundings. But he’s nothing compared with the family’s father, Gorcha, who left to fight the Turks but warned his family not to allow him back after six days, citing that he would then not be himself but the titular monster.
True to form, the old man appears after his self-imposed deadline, and despite the paterfamilias’ much changed appearance and the family’s pleas to reject his presence, eldest son Jegor (Grégoire Colin) confoundedly welcomes him back and acts as if all is well.
Gravelly voiced by Beau to unsettling ends, Gorcha is brought to life through mostly successful marionette effects. The more one thinks about how else to convincingly pull off those visuals on a low budget, the more this bony creature makes sense. And though its somewhat silly, children’s-TV-show appearance takes a little getting used to, it quickly assumes its intended menacing look.
What really sells it, however, are the sound effects — a sloshing, viscous liquid noise that heralds the creature’s coming. And as its powers grow and the body count rises, each audio cue becomes increasingly terrifying.
Nevertheless, those same murders also prove to be The Vourdalak’s weakest link as the family's inability to act proves thoroughly frustrating. Their exaggerated refusal to accept the loss of their patriarch — despite his explicit warnings not to let his altered version into the house — could very well be rooted in some period-relevant sociopolitical commentary, but it plays out poorly onscreen.
Despite this narrative clog, the film’s creepiness and craft sustain it to a wild, bloody climax that’s well worth the price of admission.
Grade: B. Not rated but with adult themes and violence. Starts Aug. 16 at Grail Moviehouse.
(Photo: Oscilloscope Laboratories)
