The Vourdalak
Directed by Adrien Beau
Written by Adrien Beau, Hadrien Bouvier
Starring Kacey Mottet Klein, Ariane Labed, Grégoire Colin, Vassili Schneider
Unrated
Runtime 91 minutes
Now playing in select theaters

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

Vampire horror has had a resurgence in popularity over the last two years. The popularity of Abigail, The Last Voyage of Demeter, Renfield, and the highly anticipated Nosferatu from Robert Eggers make it clear that stories of the vampire are just as immortal as the creatures themselves. One of the most interesting of recent vampire movies is coming to theaters this week, The Vourdalak. The term “vourdalak” comes from Slavic folklore and for those who enjoy this subgenre of film, looking at a different cultural take on the vampire is quite a treat. Along with that, the filmmakers made the fascinating choice to use a lifesize puppet to take on the role of the blood sucking undead. This is an experimental vampire folk horror tale that uses the Slavic vampire myth to explore themes around toxic family dynamics and class.

Based on the Aleksei Tolstoy gothic novella The Family of the Vourdalak, the story is set in a remote area of Eastern Europe during the 18th century. A nobleman known as the Marquis d'Urfé (Kacey Mottet Klein) finds himself lost in the woods and is told he can take refuge at the home of Gorcha (voiced by director Adrien Beau) and his family. Upon arrival, he finds that Gorcha is gone. Instead, he is welcomed by Gorcha’s three adult offspring, his grandson, and daughter in law. Gorcha warns that if he does not arrive back home in 6 days then he has become a vourdalak and the family should refuse to let him in. They stumble upon him, slightly past this time but his eldest son Jegor (Grégoire Colin) invites him with open arms. But soon it becomes clear that they have let a monster in amongst them, and it has sinister plans for the family.

Many vampire myths extend from the real life horrors people faced in regard to communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. This also makes disease an easy allegory for vampire stories, but that this is not what this adaptation specifically focuses on. The filmmakers also make several notable changes to the original source material, which work to great effect. Gorcha is the toxic patriarch of the family who revels in his power over them. Between a free-spirited daughter, a cross dressing son, and a spineless father’s boy, he finds all sorts of ways to torture and kill the spirit of the family, even before he begins draining them of actual blood. The vampire is not usually shown to be a hateful and cruel patriarch, akin to a sitcom father. Many a vampire myth also focuses on a wealthy eccentric, but Gorcha is a poor man whose new found powers are impossible for him to resist. This also makes him butt heads with the noble dimwit in his home.

While the filmmakers spend time making poignant thematic choices, they also take the opportunity to experiment in the filmmaking itself. The Gorcha puppet gives them the chance to make him even more monstrous and otherworldly than they could with mere makeup. It is impressive how they move him around and find ways to let him take up space like the other actors on set. Fans of other eccentric indie horror like Possum or Caveat will likely find something to love in The Vourdalak. The strange and dark humor coupled with its focus on creepy puppets and toys certainly aligns with these other films. Their focus on production design and shot on film aesthetic, makes it feel like a strange time capsule that you have just unearthed. Adrien Beaun is an exciting new director with a unique sense of style. After watching The Vourdalak, it is easy to be enthusiastic about his future features.

Adrien Beaun also does an admirable job lending his voice to Gorcha. He breathes life into the character to the point that you do not really question the puppet amongst the family. Alongside him the other performance to be praised is that of Ariane Labed who plays Gorcha’s daughter Sdenka. While she is introduced as a closed off superstitious woman, she is ultimately the one the audience will root for and connect with. She has an expressive face that lends so much to the role, and also adds to the relationship dynamics we watch play out between her and the Marquis d'Urfé.

The Vourdalak is such a unique breath of fresh air, both to the vampire narrative and horror in general. It is easy to get tired of sequels, remakes, and other cash grabs from American studios, which can make it easy to overlook the more distinct original stories out there. It brings to mind the Bong Joon-Ho quote “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” The Vourdalak is one of many amazing recent international films and hopefully American audiences will take time to seek it out.