Eagle Entertainment has no shortage of schlock this October as their slate is lined with nocturnal horror from Ted Bundy to The Mummy. In between is the non-traditional vampire tale, Sunrise – available on DVD & Digital from October 2nd.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, an ex-policeman, Fallon (Alex Pettyfer), returns to a small town after being plagued by an evil force, that gives him a thirst for flesh and blood. Torn between seeking revenge or redemption, he takes refuge with a victimized migrant family, who are tormented by a bigoted businessman, Reynolds, played by Guy Pearce.
I’m currently watching the Hannibal television series and during one especially disturbing surgical scene, Eddie Izzard remarks on how much the human body can give up before dying. Sunrise is a prime example of how much you can leave out of a movie before it becomes incoherent.
I’m not one to argue against implied horror or ambiguity, but there’s a point when you need to give the audience something for their time. Despite not lacking in atmosphere, which is dreary and foreboding, almost everything about this film is underdeveloped. Sunrise toys around with the idea of a vague local legend about an evil being known as the Red Coat, the alleged giver of Fallon’s limited vampiric abilities, and even with numerous flashbacks to past events, the viewer is left none the wiser. To the film’s credit, our once-bitten hero’s alliance with an Asian mother and her children lightly explores a theme of intolerance to outsiders by a largely prejudiced community.
Guy Pearce as the main antagonist is an anomaly. When he’s not channelling psychotic Southern preacher energy, he’s all about America, fu*k yeah! Yet he’s dressed like a pianist on his way to the concert of his life …then there’s the suggested incest with mommy dearest. He gave a more consistent performance in that now-meaningless final episode of Neighbours when he returned as spunky Mike Young. Where’s his spin-off series?
Sunrise can’t escape its middle act, unable to follow through, which results in a frustrating and easily forgettable watch. Maybe get down to Monster Mash instead, starring Michael Madsen and some legally safe “Classics Monsters” except for Gill-man of course, who always gets the shaft; also available from Oct 2nd.
THE PERSUADERS
(2024, Creator: Andrew Baird)
★★½
production stills
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