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Near Dark

Play trailer Poster for Near Dark R Released Oct 2, 1987 1h 35m Horror Western Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Cowboy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets gorgeous Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction. But when Mae turns out to be a vampire and bites Caleb on the neck, their relationship gets complicated. Wracked with a craving for human blood, Caleb is forced to leave his family and ride with Mae and her gang of vampires, including the evil Severen. Along the way Caleb must decide between his new love of Mae and the love of his family.
Near Dark

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Near Dark is at once a creepy vampire film, a thrilling western, and a poignant family tale, with humor and scares in abundance.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com As a kid, I was spellbound. As an adult, each revisit brings me new pleasures as I discover layers to Bigelow’s chilling horror masterwork I hadn’t noticed before. Rated: 4/4 Dec 1, 2022 Full Review Henry Sheehan Chicago Reader The film’s purgation of terror is as vital and energizing as can be possible. This is one hell of a movie. Rated: 3/4 May 10, 2022 Full Review Mike Daly The Age (Australia) An awkward blend of horror spoof and genuine shocker. Mar 26, 2021 Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Kathryn Bigelow's grim "artsy vampire Western" didn't make a big splash with audiences at the time, but it's rightly now seen as one of the most influential horror films of its era. Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 9, 2024 Full Review Joshua Polanski Boston Hassle [Near Dark's] style so precisely matches the content that every directorial choice feels indelible. Jul 18, 2024 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm ...boasts one of the horror genre’s most unique milieus. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matty D Near Dark is the must-see modern vampire movie that thrills, chills, and wreaks havoc on the viewer. Unlike 1994’s period vampire drama, Interview With The Vampire, this 1987 gem from Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow is near-perfect filmmaking. Bigelow, most known for her award-winning directorial works like The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, directs this lesser known horror parable of family and melancholic love. To say Bigelow has a signature style does injustice to her choices in her works, especially in the case of Near Dark—a film drenched in dread. From the casting choices to the special effects, everything about this modern day western just works—it fires on all cylinders. Bigelow guides her actors through difficult, life-altering choices in the face of a ticking time bomb realized by both shots of the sun and the film’s complex villain, Severen. In one respect, this is a simple vampire story with modern western tendencies. In another, it’s a very complicated story about love, disease, and making choices when our familial bonds force us to. If you haven’t seen Near Dark, put it at the top of your “moviecation” list because this is one horror gem that will leave you spellbound from start to finish. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review Emilliano Jr S Underrated 80's horror gem. The only thing I noticed was how come Caleb came back to be human? Just his dad gave him a blood transfusion and that's it?! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review DANIEL K One of my all-time favorite vampire flicks, so creepy and cool. Many haunting images are still with me many years later. If you like Katherine Bigelow movies, this is one of her first outings, and already her talent is clear. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/25/24 Full Review Basement D We Were Excited To Watch With All The Great Reviews! But Sad To Report This Movie Is Horrible! Weird Story. Vampires Were Hardly Vampires. More Like Murderous Hobos Who Can't Keep Track Of Time. Nothing Cool About These Vampires Or This Movie. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/01/24 Full Review Emanuele B I would hardly label this one as a "vampire movie". It lacks all the darkness and dread and sensuality of a legit, classic vampire movie. In my opinion this is more of a "dark love story" with a very few and mostly harmless outbursts of violence and blood. Director Kathryn Bigelow delivers a visually stylish, deeply romantic love story with an amazing soundtrack by Tangerine Dream and perfect casting choices. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review Elew G A great favorite of mine from my teens. Great cast, and tale. It would be five stars, but I remember when I first saw it the end way out pulled me from suspended belief into disappointment. Thats is by no means a reason not to see this film. It really is great. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/02/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Near Dark

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Cast & Crew

Near Dark

Near Dark: Official Clip - You Could Kill Me If You Drink Too Much Near Dark: Official Clip - You Could Kill Me If You Drink Too Much 1:33 Near Dark: Official Clip - Bull's Eye! Near Dark: Official Clip - Bull's Eye! 2:15 Near Dark: Official Clip - Check-Out Time Near Dark: Official Clip - Check-Out Time 3:15 Near Dark: Official Clip - She's Mine Near Dark: Official Clip - She's Mine 1:51 Near Dark: Official Clip - Sunrise Burns Near Dark: Official Clip - Sunrise Burns 1:47 Near Dark: Official Clip - Finger-Lickin' Good! Near Dark: Official Clip - Finger-Lickin' Good! 2:38 Near Dark: Official Clip - Horses Just Don't Like Me Near Dark: Official Clip - Horses Just Don't Like Me 1:45 Near Dark: Official Clip - We Keep Odd Hours Near Dark: Official Clip - We Keep Odd Hours 1:44 Near Dark: Official Clip - Capturing Caleb Near Dark: Official Clip - Capturing Caleb 2:07 Near Dark: Official Clip - The Drink's on Me Near Dark: Official Clip - The Drink's on Me 3:29 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Cowboy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets gorgeous Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction. But when Mae turns out to be a vampire and bites Caleb on the neck, their relationship gets complicated. Wracked with a craving for human blood, Caleb is forced to leave his family and ride with Mae and her gang of vampires, including the evil Severen. Along the way Caleb must decide between his new love of Mae and the love of his family.
Director
Kathryn Bigelow
Producer
Steven-Charles Jaffe
Screenwriter
Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red
Distributor
Paramount Pictures, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Near Dark Joint Venture
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 2, 1987, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 7, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.5M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Surround