Near Dark

R

Released Oct 2, 1987

1 hr. 35 min.

Horror

Western

List

83%

75 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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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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Jay H

An unusual - and terrific - vampire movie. Bill Paxton gives a standout performance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/04/24

Full Review

GPhonse257

This movie is probably in my top 5 best vampire movies of all time. And it has a wild wild west theme to it, which is innovative and has never been done before. Great actors, with good character development between them all. And the movie music score throughout different points of the film is awesome, because they matched the tone, vibe and mood of of the different settings and moments. I have nothing bad to say about this movie at all. And that's saying alot! Although this is a vampire movie...it didn't need a whole lot of blood, gore, and long scary vampire fangs to get it's point across. This is one of the rare horror movies, when "less is more" was done exceptionally well. This movie is an underrated vampire movie masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/26/24

Full Review

chris h

This is a underrated masterpiece.everything about this movie is on point and entertaining.Must see if you like vampire movies.Great cast.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/05/23

Full Review

J D

ho-hum to start to Bigelow's career, more B movie

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Over 35 years later and this is one of my favorites by Kathryn Bigelow, this was actually her directorial debut Caleb is a young man in a small Oklahoma town; he lives with his father and little sister He meets a beautiful young woman named Star but she accidentally bites him Caleb tries to go home but his body goes through a strange transformation He can’t be in the sun and he’s always hungry Star is the only one who can help him along with her family too They live off the blood of others…literally! Turns out they are living vampires Caleb doesn’t want to kill but if he doesn’t he’ll die and Star and the others try to train him to own his new status When he runs into his father and sister their lives are in danger so Caleb has to try and escape Amazing this was Adrian Pasdar pre-Heroes, the father and sister characters are really likable too Love the late Bill Paxton's lovely performance next to Jeannette Goldstein and Lance Henriksen A great mix of western biker and vampire movies with the shots of sunsets, desert plains, and foggy shadowy streets Sadly this bombed at the box office with the studio backing it going out of business and there was no promotional material But I love how it handles these vampires being very subtle and not the obvious in your face kind with sharp fangs red eyes or turning into bats etc being more grounded Plenty of violence and cool action set pieces Quite the poignant family tale too The music was done by Tangerine Dream which is one of my favorite scores, totally reminds me of ‘Witness’ They would also do ‘Risky Business’ a few years later If you’re in the mood for a good vampire movie that isn’t like the majority of its kind then this is a good breather

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/03/23

Full Review

Steve D

I find it really slow and not at all intense despite a lot of talent involved.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/03/23

Full Review

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Kathryn Bigelow

Director

Adrian Pasdar

Caleb Colton

Jenny Wright

Mae

Lance Henriksen

Jesse

Bill Paxton

Severen

Jenette Goldstein

Diamondback

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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

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...boasts one of the horror genre’s most unique milieus.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 5, 2022

Full Review

Henry Sheehan

Los Angeles Reader

It's the air of deep, neurotic melancholy that makes Near Dark work. The film's rhythm is set by lonely, nighttime vistas, incantatory shots of the sun setting and rising.

Aug 12, 2022

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

A collision of genres that shouldn't work, but absolutely does, in no small part thanks to its punk rock visual aesthetic. With Near Dark, Bigelow established herself as one of the most vibrant working directors in contemporary American cinema

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 25, 2022

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Edward S. Feldman, Charles R. Meeker
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
Sound Mix: Surround