The Night Is Young
Directed by Patrick Rea
Written by Patrick Rea and Sarah McGuire
Starring Sarah McGuire, Valeri Bates, Jake Jackson
Runtime 76 minutes
World Premiere at Popcorn Frights Festival on August 10
Available on demand here

by Gary M. Kramer, staff writer

Cheap horror films can yield modest pleasures if viewers go in with expectations as low as the budget. These indie movies often have a gritty if amateur vibe. Moreover, they usually feature one nifty special effect (if it’s not too complicated), a cast and crew comprised of friends and family members (likely conscripted), and they don’t take themselves seriously. (And neither should you.)

The indie queer-themed horror film, The Night Is Young, directed by Patrick Rea, who cowrote the film with lead actress Sarah McGuire, adheres to the parameters and pitfalls of the genre. The dialogue is didactic, and the acting uneven. The camerawork is stylized—in this case handheld—to create “atmosphere.” The action is shot largely outdoors, and in empty spaces—because who can afford sets? And the blood and gore look more homemade than convincing, with much of the violence (such as impalement) happening off-screen. But the cast is game and obviously having fun. They want audiences to as well, yet The Night Is Young is a mixed bag.

This film opens in Kansas City as vampire hunters are gathering stakes and holy water before setting off to save humanity. However, the protagonist here is Nora (McGuire), a lesbian content creator whose video blog, “Nora’s Infinite Gaylist,” chronicles her various dates. The Night Is Young features a montage of Nora’s awkward encounters, and one promising but failed relationship. This is how she and her cameraman brother Jake (Jake Jackson) end up in a bar one night where they meet Emelia (Valeri Bates). While Nora has been stood up by her date, Emelia, on a nearby barstool, strikes up a conversation that salvages her evening. 

As the women hold hands and walk back to Emelia’s apartment, a mugger jumps Nora, prompting Emelia to spring into action, attacking the guy, and revealing herself to be a vampire. Nora and Jake are surprised by this as well as the discovery of a photo Emelia has of a woman who looks exactly like Nora. Yes, these are all big red flags, but Emelia explains, “I only kill bad people to survive,” and Nora and Jake assist her in escaping the aforementioned vampire hunters who are out to kill her. 

This development has Nora confessing in one of her video testimonials that she and Jake “are kinda sucked into this.” And while there are setbacks—such as Emelia and Nora both getting injured—the vampire recovers by drinking some blood, leaving Nora to decide if she should be “turned” by her potential new girlfriend.

As cozy as all this is, Rea’s film is rather clumsy. The bloodletting is as risible as some of the dialogue, which feels like the actors are—pardon the pun—vamping. At least a scene of a character being set on fire is cool, although a later image of a vampire being burned by sunlight looks really fake. 

The moviemaking is also uneven. Much of The Night Is Young is shot in empty streets at night, and the lighting (or lack thereof) and editing can make it challenging to see who is on screen or what is happening. At least Jake’s camera, which records the action, features technology glitches that are more endearing than annoying. In contrast, the vampire hunters use drones, which may indicate their prowess.

But Rea’s film roots for Nora and the vampire(s), and while that is oddly sweet, the lack of chemistry between Nora and Emelia may require viewers to suspend their disbelief that Nora is falling in love on a first date. 

The Night Is Young is ambitious, and its scrappiness can have its appeal, but some viewers will have their benevolence exhausted.