Stake Land

Penned by director Jim Mickle and actor Nick Damici, Stake Land is a horror film with surprising heart and compelling atmosphere. Set in a post-apocalyptic America where distinctly unglamorous vampires roam the land, the movie follows Martin (Connor Paolo), an orphaned young man who falls in with Mister (Damici), a wanderer of few words who isn't afraid to fight the vicious undead. As Martin and Mister head north to a rumored vamp-free haven known as New Eden, they encounter plenty of feral bloodsuckers, as well as a sadistic cult leader named Jebedia (Michael Cerveris), who is arguably more dangerous than the fanged predators lurking about. Eventually joined by other travelers, notably a traumatized nun (Kelly McGillis), Martin and Mister try to maintain a shred of hope that they can make it to New Eden alive. Taking its visual cues from John Hillcoat's big-screen adaptation of The Road, Stake Land presents a fascinatingly bleak landscape that leaves plenty of space for uniformly solid performances, as well as creepy low-tech effects that don't skimp on the gore, but never let the bloodshed overtake the story. Mickle clearly cares about his characters, and the viewer is inclined to do the same, making for that rare horror film that effectively transcends its conceit to become a fine tale in its own right.