Total Film
Slick popcorn horror, faithful to the fun and flair of the original. The 3D works, the cast appeals, the action’s fast (but not so frightening). A decent remake – it just needs more bite.
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Fright Night
Remake of the 1985 comedy-horror classic about a teenager who suspects his neighbour is a vampire. Stars Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett) and Colin Farrell (In Bruges). From the director of Lars and the Real Girl.
Charley (Yelchin), having ditched his nerdy pal Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Fogell from Superbad), has finally cracked the cool group at school and scored a hottie (Imogen Poots, 28 Weeks Later) in the process. But when people in the neighbourhood start dying, Charley listens to Ed's theory: a vampire is responsible, and the vampire is spooky neighbour Jerry (Farrell). Unable to convince others of the truth, Charley takes it on himself to protect his friends and mum (Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine), and kill Jerry.
2011Rating: R13, contains violence, horror scenes and offensive language120 minsUK, USAEnglish and Japanese with English subtitles
ComedyHorrorRe-make
- Director:
- Craig Gillespie (TV's 'United States of Tara', 'Mr. Woodcock', 'Lars and the Real Girl')
- Writer:
- Marti NoxonTom Holland
- Cast:
- Colin FarrellDavid TennantAnton YelchinChristopher Mintz-PlasseToni ColletteImogen PootsDave Franco
Fright Night / Reviews
The New York Times
The old "Fright Night" was both self-aware and effectively scary, and if this one seems to prefer gruesome digital effects to old-fashioned bump-in-the-night spookiness, it still succeeds in keeping the audience both tickled and anxious.
Full reviewThe Guardian
An entertaining remake of the mid-80s vampire movie that, unlike the original, hasn't got one scary moment in it.
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Roger Ebert
As in the earlier film, this one dances always at the edge of comedy. It especially has fun with the Rules of Vampire Behavior.
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Hollywood Reporter
A steady supply of spiky humor and a game cast keep this cooking most of the way, though the pacing could have been tighter and the film seems as if it's about to end two or three times before it actually does.
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Empire Magazine
Funny and scary - and sometimes both at once - it lives up to the original, even if it fails to surpass it.
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A.V. Club
The film's greatest pleasures come from Noxon's script - which puts the sexual chaos created by Farrell's attractive bloodsucker front and center - and from the performances.
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