Stake Land

STAKE LAND

A 2010 film in which a teen named Martin takes a road trip with a vampire hunter called Mister through what remains of the United States after undead bloodsuckers have decimated the population, Stake Land contains many gripping scenes and horrifying moments but suffers from an emotionally-unfulfilling ending.  In a prologue, a vampire kills Martin’s parents and baby sibling, and Mister swoops in and rescues Martin.  The two head north in the hope of finding a place known as “New Eden” (reputed to be a safe haven, much like Sanctuary in Logan’s Run).  Along the way, they pick up a couple of traveling companions including a pregnant young woman named Belle.  They survive assorted encounters with vampires and fanatical human cult members until Belle dies around the end of the second act.  After Mister and Martin meet a girl about Martin’s age, Mister inexplicably abandons Martin and vanishes to parts unknown.  Martin and the girl continue north until a road sign notifies them that they have allegedly arrived at New Eden.

I very much wanted to see New Eden (if it actually existed) and find out how exactly the denizens thereof were safe from vampires.  The story ends before Martin actually experiences the place, which left me feeling cheated out of a proper denouement.  The journey to the end is worth experiencing, though.  The vampires in this world are brutal feral creatures (unlike the kind found in Anne Rice novels) and quite disturbing to see in action as they hunt and feed.  A couple of moments left me scratching my head (like the scene in which a religious cult drops vampires from a helicopter into the midst of the heroes – I wondered how exactly the cultists captured these monsters and wrangled them into an aircraft), but I still recommend checking this project out.  If you dig home video extras, the Blu-ray includes two commentary tracks.  Stake Land is a flawed but engaging movie.