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The Vourdalak

Play trailer 1:46 Poster for The Vourdalak 2024 1h 30m Fantasy Drama Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
When the Marquis d'Urfé, a noble emissary of the King of France, is attacked and abandoned in the remote countryside, he finds refuge at an eerie, isolated manor. The resident family, reluctant to take him in, exhibits strange behavior as they await the imminent return of their father, Gorcha. But what begins simply as strange quickly devolves into a full-fledged nightmare when Gorcha returns, seemingly no longer himself.... Adapted from a novella that predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by over half a century, The Vourdalak is an atmospheric, unexpected, sensorial experience that will leave you reeling and giddy in equal measure.
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The Vourdalak

The Vourdalak

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Critics Consensus

A visually sumptuous gothic tale with intriguing subtext flowing through its veins, The Vourdalak is a memorably stylish debut for director Adrien Beau.

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Critics Reviews

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Danny Leigh Financial Times 09/19/2024
4/5
... Delightfully skewed. The movie puts the dead in deadpan. Go to Full Review
Phil Hoad Guardian 09/10/2024
4/5
A delirious and oddly agreeable stopover. Go to Full Review
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 07/26/2024
3.5/4
Flippant humor slowly gives way to an unavoidable onslaught of anxiety that overwhelmed my senses, leading to haunting final images I will uncomfortably savor for quite some time. Go to Full Review
Emily von Seele Daily Dead Sep 14
4/5
The Vourdalak lives at the intersection of vampire film, folk horror and European period piece. It’s a captivating tale that will please fans of classic vampire stories and folk horrors alike. Go to Full Review
Spleeny Dotson Starburst 09/06/2024
3/5
Sparse, tense, and claustrophobic, if you can get past the spooky puppet, The Vourdalak is a solid addition to cinema’s eternally bulging vampire canon. Go to Full Review
MontiLee Stormer MovieReelist.com 09/03/2024
3.5/5
This story is pulled from oral myths and superstition where the undead walk in the daylight, and the signs of sickness aren’t silver and mirrors, but saliva and shadows. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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T M @RT55749265 Jun 28 If vampire puppets are not your thing then stay for the bewigged fop, the atmospheric gothic gloom, the fact that this is based on the first vampire story ever printed, the subtle(and maybe not so subtle) comedy moments and the little twist at the end. See more Kalissa H. @kali_416 Jan 25 I was interested the whole time. Such a unique story. Loved it. See more Robson C @RT82519826 Dec 31 Um nobre francês, em missão para o rei, perde-se após ser atacado por bandidos e busca abrigo com uma família isolada. Enquanto espera um cavalo para retornar, descobre a estranha história daquele grupo. A situação se torna perigosa quando o patriarca volta da guerra contra os turcos trazendo a maldição dos Vourdalak — vampiros que preferem o sangue de seus entes mais queridos. O filme apresenta elementos curiosos, como o uso de um animatrônico no papel do patriarca, algo que causa impacto, mas também estranhamento pela falta de naturalidade. A obra cria sua própria mitologia, incluindo rituais e hábitos peculiares desses vampiros. Kacey Klein vive uma jornada de herói marcada por cortesia e manipulação, revelando força quando Sdenka recusa ir à corte francesa, mas depois demonstrando genuína preocupação com o destino da família. Ariane Labed se destaca como Sdenka, dividida entre dor, crenças e opressão. Os Vourdalak é interessante, embora prejudicado por algumas escolhas artísticas. See more Jonny S @RT92732185 Oct 25 Just finished this on film4 meant to watch it last time it did the rounds but missed the chance. Have to say it was quite an interesting film and not like anything else I’ve seen. From the synopsis I thought it was going to be a more jolly and comic but it was more art house and bleak …. Not a bad thing though. I can however see why it has some very high reviews and also low ones. It lies somewhere between a dark comedy folk horror period piece styled of sorts like an art movie in French. So it definitely won’t be for everyone. I’m not without my criticism, it was quite slow and looks like it was filmed on a camera from the 80s ? But I think it was made like that. There are some tense scenes and some laughable ones. Much like the puppet vourdalek itself. Along with shots of the French guy in pale make up looking bemused LOL. I think the average film or horror viewer may not appreciate the low budget indie vibes/art house stylings. The high brow film critics lapping it up. Personally I thought it pissed all over the nosrefatu remake. So I’d say if you are a movie buff and enjoy art and foreign films in particular you will enjoy. See more Logan D @Greynomad38 Sep 22 French nobleman Marquis Jacques Antoine Saturnin d’Urfé (Kacey Mottet Klein), who, after being robbed, seeks refuge with the Gorcha family. When the family patriarch returns, the Marquis encounters a horror that torments the whole family. An atmospheric adaptation of Aleksey Tolstoy’s 1839 novella The Family of the Vourdalak. Shot on 16mm, the graininess enhances the gothic appearance. They use a life size puppet to portray the patriarch. It's at once silly and scary. There is great variety to the characters but I especially loved Ariane Labed as the enigmatic and pensive Sdenka. Recommended! See more Oaklee D @ODie63 Jul 30 This movie would be what would happen if Lars Von Trier and Darren Aronofsky had a baby that was a French vampire film. Without spoiling anything I loved it and would recommend it. See more Read all reviews
The Vourdalak

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Movie Info

Synopsis When the Marquis d'Urfé, a noble emissary of the King of France, is attacked and abandoned in the remote countryside, he finds refuge at an eerie, isolated manor. The resident family, reluctant to take him in, exhibits strange behavior as they await the imminent return of their father, Gorcha. But what begins simply as strange quickly devolves into a full-fledged nightmare when Gorcha returns, seemingly no longer himself.... Adapted from a novella that predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by over half a century, The Vourdalak is an atmospheric, unexpected, sensorial experience that will leave you reeling and giddy in equal measure.
Director
Adrien Beau
Producer
Judith Lou Lévy, Eve Robin
Screenwriter
Adrien Beau, Hadrien Bouvier, Hadrien Bouvier, Adrien Beau
Distributor
Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co
Master Movie Productions, Les Films du Bal
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Horror
Original Language
French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 28, 2024, Limited
Runtime
1h 30m