Milo, a young black youth has been killing people, drinking their blood, after becoming obsessed with vampires and their mythology. When he meets troubled teen Sophie, a bond develops, but will Milo's desire to kill and for blood overcome him...
The Transfiguration is film that asks an interesting question; do vampires actually exist and if so, what form they take. Much like George A. Romero's film Martin (an overlooked and often forgotten film these days), here Milo while obsessed with the vampire and wanting to drink blood, is perhaps more a serial killer. However the key difference is that in Martin, the other aspects of vampire mythology comes more into it, crosses, and stakes for example, to varying degrees, The Transfiguration forgoes this, keeping this side to details talked about rather than seen. We see Milo has a vast collection of vampire films he watches (name checking the best of them), but also has notebooks with thoughts and ideas about vampires, and killing too.
However, while Milo believes vampires are dangerous and scary, for Sophie, a good vampire film is Twilight. You can see why, her home life while never shown hints at abuse. Early on we see her with a group of other youths, the suggestion being she drink and probably had sex with them, to forget her own home issues. Strangely it's when she and Milo start talking and hanging out together, she finds worth in herself.
Milo's reasoning for becoming a vampire/killer is never fully given, though it is certainly hinted at finding his mother dead and tasting blood then. He does live with his brother, who never seems to go out and is suffering from PTSD or something similar, instead letting Milo do whatever he wants. He can see however, that Sophie has been good for him.
The film takes its time, the bond between Milo and Sophie developing slowly and believably throughout. The kills we see are often brutal, one in a home is shocking, but much like the classic, Let The Right One In, the film's 'heart' is in that bond.
There is tension between Milo and a street gang, that is resolved in a surprising and shocking manner. But like other aspects of the film, it too plays out more in the background.
The film is written and directed by Michael O'Shea and he has created a wonderful script, that nods to other vampire films without copying them directly. His direction is good too, the scenes between Milo and Sophie are allowed to play out naturally while the attacks/murders are brutal yet never gratuitous.His use of locations is good too, ignoring known ares of the city instead focusing on the more rundown, poorer areas, with apartment buildings eerily quiet as if abandoned. For a debut film it's an impressive one.
It helps having two terrific performances at its heart. Chloe Levine plays Sophie and is very good as the troubled girl. We see her character grow from a damaged on into a stronger one as the story progresses and Levine's performance shows that very well indeed.
But the film belong's to Eric Ruffin as Milo. He is sensational. Although at times he simply stands or sits without saying a word, you can't take your eyes of him. He's utterly convincing in the role, handling the violent acts easily but really excelling in the scenes with Milo and Sophie. It's a worth seeing for his performance alone.
When I saw this film at FrightFest Glasgow, I tweeted after seeing it that it has elements of Let The Right One In and Martin, but is its own thing (there's also a nod towards Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer too). The comparisons are fair, but that should not mean you consider The Transfiguration as copying other films. Yes there are some basic similarities, but the film has its own ideas that work well and make the film its own take on vampires.
This was one of my favourite films at FrightFest and one well worth a look. It might be a low-key film and might get lost in the cinema, instead finding a home on DVD/Blu-Ray, but if you are a fan of vampire films this one is well worth seeing, as it is a thoughtful, intelligent horror film.
And we don't get as many of them as we should.
Rating - 4/5
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