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Movies / Upcoming / Near Dark
Near Dark

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Near Dark (1987)

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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:38

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.5/10

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

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: A young cowboy is seduced by a new girl in town only to find out he has been kissed by a vampire. Slowly turning into a creature of the night, he is persuaded to join up with the girl and a roaming... A young cowboy is seduced by a new girl in town only to find out he has been kissed by a vampire. Slowly turning into a creature of the night, he is persuaded to join up with the girl and a roaming band of ghouls. But when his own father and sister become targets in the vampires' endless search for 'food,' he is forced to choose between loyalty to the vampires, or loyalty his own family. NEAR DARK is a stylish and brutal mixture of horror, western, and action conventions from director Kathryn Bigelow (STRANGE DAYS) that ranks among the best vampire movies ever made. [More]

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Lance Henriksen, Jenny Wright, Jenette Goldstein

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Lance Henriksen, Jenny Wright, Jenette Goldstein, Bill Paxton, Neith Hunter

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Near Dark

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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Near Dark still stands as one of vampire cinema's most underrated classics.

Full Review Source: The Horror Geek | comment Comment
07/26/09
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken
The Horror Geek

Near Dark has filmmaking finesse to spare, but puts its dank characters on display rather than cadging sympathy for them. It is the Blue Velvet of date-night spook shows.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/14/08
TIME Magazine

One of the better vampire films.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/16/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

... both ferocious and lyrical, a moody horror film with the frontier community romanticism of a John Ford Western and the violent ferocity of a Sam Peckinpah film.

Full Review Source: Seanax.com | comment Comment
03/05/08
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/21/07
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

As much as it is a horror film and western, it is equally and perhaps more pronouncedly a romance.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
10/30/07
Rumsey Taylor
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Dark, bloody and very stylish, this genre-busting western-noir-vampire hybrid is a toothsome joy and definitely one of the best horror films of the 1980s.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/26/07
Channel 4 Film

This is on the whole a striking directorial debut, at once scary and erotic, with lots of sidelong touches in the casting, direction, and script.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
09/26/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

An auspicious solo directing debut from Kathryn Bigelow.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/26/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide

High-powered but pared down, slick but spare, this is a tale that introduces the unearthly into the banality of rural American existence.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
09/26/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Bigelow's artful handling of the magic and menace of the night is hauntingly apparent.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
08/14/07
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Still by far Bigelow's best film, this seductive vampire tale is suffused with the unique beauty of the SouthWest and eerie pacing that enrich the narrative and elevate it to a reverie about the sanctity and unity of the family.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
08/21/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A subtle study in the seductiveness of evil and a terrifying ride to the edge of darkness.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
11/05/05
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
10/09/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
05/06/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

One of the best vampire movies ever made....if you liked "The Lost Boys", you'll love this!

comment Comment
05/06/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Southern-fried vampire-noir romance action horror tragedy. I love this movie.

comment Comment
04/03/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

[A]n intense film, an eerie depiction of the isolated, empty middle of America... surprisingly haunting...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
11/02/04
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

The great Kathryn Bigelow made her solo directorial debut, and managed to emphasize the relationships between the characters while using the gory showstoppers as support.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/17/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Near Dark

December 18, 2008: Twilight and History's Coolest Vampires - An RT Guide
With the teenage nice guy vampire of Twilight catching the hearts of 12-16-year-old girls all over the world, it's time to cast a backward glance at style-leading vampire... More...

December 12, 2008: Brad Fuller Declares Near Dark Remake Dead Opens in new window
That long-in-the-works "Near Dark" remake will remain unreleased: According to producer Brad Fuller, "Twilight" has cornered the market on vampire love stories. More...

August 22, 2008: Further Reading: Hammer Horror's MySpace Revival Stumbles
Does a new collection of webisodes hosted on MySpace and featuring tabloid teen favourites Jamie Dornan and Lois Winstone constitute a revival of the Hammer Horror film? Not so,... More...

July 17, 2007: Kathryn Bigelow to Tackle Iraq War Drama
Jeremy Renner, Brian Geraghty, and Anthony Mackie have signed on to star in Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker. Plus, we can expect brief appearances from Ralph... More...

See All

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