Fright Night Review: The Perfect Blend Of Humor And Horror

Fans of the original Fright Night are understandably wary about the remake which hits theaters today, but they can rest assured that director Craig Gillespie has done a fabulous job at putting a fresh spin on the much loved 80’s flick. The original film was what it was: funny, a little scary, and oh-so-much fun. The same words can be used to describe the remake of Fright Night. It’s the perfect blend of horror and humor.

The storyline is the same though the location has changed. This time around the Brewster family lives in a community development a little outside of Las Vegas. It’s the perfect setting for someone who may sleep all day… then work all night on the strip. But that excuse doesn’t fly with Charley Brewster’s (Anton Yelchin) best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). In Ed’s mind, the reason that his and Charley’s classmates have been disappearing all traces back to Charley’s new neighbor – Jerry (Colin Farrell). Charley isn’t convinced though. After all, Jerry is a horrible vampire name… if they were real.

It doesn’t take too long for Charley to realize that Ed may have been on to something… only Ed has disappeared now as well. In efforts to save his family and friends, Charley seeks out the help of a famous vampire hunter/illusionist/hot mess Peter Vincent (David Tennant). Surely Peter can help him find away to rid their lives of Jerry for good…

When a film deals with vampires and is set in modern day (where you’re not dealing with the teenage girl demographic that eats up Twilight and The Vampire Diaries or massive amounts of sex (aka True Blood)), you’ve got to approach scripts like Fright Night very carefully. It would be easy for a film like this to sail right over campy and just be purely bad… and deserving of a January release date. But every aspect of Fright Night is enticing and entertaining. Colin Farrell does a fantastic job at seducing us as Jerry – then shortly there after, deeply disturbing us. Anton Yelchin brings a great deal of innocence and likability to Charley, who we not only want to save the day but also loose his V-card to his hot and nerd-loving girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots). My favorite part of the film though, without question, is David Tennant. Tennant steals the show with his own version of Peter Vincent, who has fantastically entertaining quirks such as his large ego, fake facial hair, and addiction to Midori Melon Liqueur. Tennant’s Vincent does a pointed and comical jab at the world of celebrity, and will have you choking on your popcorn as you see this new side of The Doctor.

The 3D moments of this film are indeed campy. You’ll get a few extra giggles as blood and gore sprays out into the audience. While it’s definitely not necessary to enjoy the flick, the 3D viewing won’t leave you feeling like you wasted your money. It is after all, a campy movie…. but it’s a freaking awesome campy movie that will be the most fun you’ve had at the theaters in a long, long time!

Grade: A-
Review By: Emma Loggins