Stake Land (2010)

A post-apocalyptic world, a young boy and a guy drive through the deserted landscapes, they pick up a hitchhiker, a somewhat dramatic voice-over by the young boy. That's right, in many perspectives Stake Land kinda looks like Zombieland only with a more serious look on things and with vampires instead of zombies.

Martin was a normal teenage boy before the country collapsed in an empty pit of economic and political disaster. A vampire epidemic has swept across what is left of the nation's abandoned towns and cities, and it's up to Mister, a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin safely north to Canada, the continent's New Eden.

De cast is verry decent. Connor Paolo does a decent job and Nick Damici is pretty cool as bad-ass ''Mister''. Danielle Harris also has a part. This time she isn't a kick-ass horror chick but she has the tame role of a pregnant woman in a world taken over by vampires.

The film takes it easy although you never really get the feeling that there isn't happening enough. Still it feels a bit calm. The reason for that are probably the many shots of deserted houses etc. supported by dramatic music. It does give a nice post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Though i don think the film lacks a bit of tension. The vampires aren't ruthless enough and i don't think they felt like a real threat.

I also didn't like the whole Brotherhood, a cult who protect the vampires, thing. The leader, a bald guy with an ugly tattoo on his head and a huge fur coat flowing in the wind, didn't ad to the tension and to be honest i don't think it settled in the wole film/story.

Though Stake Land isn't a bad horror film. It looks, although it didn't have a huge budget, professional and visually it all looks pretty good. The atmosphere and the great acting keeps you interested but to get a higher score the film had to have more tension.