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Habit

Play trailer Poster for Habit 1997 1h 52m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Sam (Larry Fessenden), a down-and-out New Yorker who is grieving over his father's death and has just broken up with his girlfriend, is lost in an alcoholic haze. When he meets the seductive Anna (Meredith Snaider) at a party, he immediately falls under her spell. Soon, Sam is pulled into a sporadic relationship with the mysterious woman, and their trysts increasingly involve blood being shed, slowly affirming his suspicion that he may be dating an actual vampire.
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Habit

Critics Reviews

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Joshua Katzman Chicago Reader 06/15/2022
3/4
In the spin that Fessenden gives the vampire flick, we’re all ultimately our own worst enemies, ushering in the agents of our own demise. Go to Full Review
Keith Phipps AV Club 10/20/2009
This has been a good decade for movies about New York vampires. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety 10/20/2009
Another hip vampire drama set in New York's East Village, small budget indie Habit manages to impress with plausible scripting, first-rate performances and an unsettling mood of mounting dread. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/20/2020
4/5
It captures a certain gritty New York energy of the period, not unlike the texture of a Larry Cohen production. Fessenden gives a great performance as a man headed for a breakdown. Go to Full Review
Maitland McDonagh TV Guide 10/20/2009
3/4
Despite its low budget, the assets of Fessenden's film include startlingly rich cinematography and an above-average cast, most of whom have roots in New York's downtown performance scene. Go to Full Review
Merle Bertrand Film Threat 12/06/2005
3/5
Do we really need yet another vampire movie? Sure, about as much as we needed another movie about that ship that ruined a perfectly good iceberg. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Wayne K Jul 24 A supposed vampire flick that’s really just a metaphor for toxic relationships, or drugs addiction, or alcoholism, or self-destruction or whichever meaning most appeals to you. It stars writer/director Larry Fessenden in the lead role as a directionless waster who finds a woman that’s too good to be true. The strength of the film lies in its ability to spin out a simple premise, and do so on a tight budget. It was almost certainly made without permits, using whichever actors or amateur performers Fessenden happened to know at the time. By keeping the plot uncomplicated, we have more of a chance to follow along and understand the pain Sam is going through, but we also feel a kind of pity for him because so much of it is self-inflicted. It’s meandering and repetitive at times, but it has an impact because it deals with issues we’ve either been through ourselves, or we know someone who has. No a scary horror in the traditional sense, but an unnerving one on a human level. See more Joe H 10/20/2023 🤔 Great acting, great directing. Absolutely the most boring vampire movie I've ever seen. Cinematic greatness just doesn't cut it here. Most of us want substance in a vampire movie. Peace! See more 10/19/2013 With its low-budget and understated look, "Habit" just feels so real..... See more 06/27/2013 Fassenden's attempt to do a vampire film is hampered by its small budget which is clearly evident throughout the production. A good low budget director can compensate and make an audience forget that short cuts are being taken. It doesn't happen here. See more 06/16/2012 very strange vampire movie See more 02/24/2012 Sam's life isnt exactly all roses. His father has died and his girlfriend has dumped him so he spends pretty much all his time hitting the bottle hard. He works part-time at a bar which helps but everything begins to change for him when he meets Anna, a mysterious girl, at a mutual friends party. After that night he can't stop thinking about her and soon enough they begin to see each other. Only problem is that Anna could very well be a vampire. Larry Fessenden's Habit is a minimalistic vampire film that focuses heavily on character development. The script is very well written and has a few truly memorable lines but it's how it paints this fully dimensional character in Sam which makes it truly stand out for me. As a viewer I completely bought everything Larry Fessenden does as Sam. In subtle ways we learn about his fears and things from his past that make him the man he is. He is really an ugly human being whose down-troden attitude are both comical and kinda disgusting. The scene at dinner where he stuffs his face is a perfect example. Of course the vampire aspects of the film are great as well. As Sam is first affected he has all sorts of strange sensory overloads which are well illustrated. There are also some truly eerie amazing dream sequences in the film when Sam begins to feel a transformation beginning and quite frankly they are quite the mind fuck. Its a great example of what a low-budget film can be. It's creatively shot, focused and interesting. See more Read all reviews
Habit

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Movie Info

Synopsis Sam (Larry Fessenden), a down-and-out New Yorker who is grieving over his father's death and has just broken up with his girlfriend, is lost in an alcoholic haze. When he meets the seductive Anna (Meredith Snaider) at a party, he immediately falls under her spell. Soon, Sam is pulled into a sporadic relationship with the mysterious woman, and their trysts increasingly involve blood being shed, slowly affirming his suspicion that he may be dating an actual vampire.
Director
Larry Fessenden
Producer
Dayton Taylor
Screenwriter
Larry Fessenden
Distributor
Passport Pictures
Production Co
Glass Eye Pix
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 14, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 16, 2019
Runtime
1h 52m
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