Byzantium

Ratings: 7.5/10

Film class: B 

Genre: Drama 

Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) and her mother, Clara (Gemma Arterton) are vampires who seek refuge at a coastal town in a deserted hostel named Byzantium, after their whereabouts were discovered by a mysterious brotherhood vent on hunting them down. 

*spoilers ahead* Unlike other vampire movies, this one stands out in terms of novelty of the origins of vampires. No one vampire who was supposedly the maker of the others, the only way to convert into a vampire is to locate a secret cave found only by a map passed on to a selected few. 

Also, the scriptwriters dealt away with the usual cliches such as garlic and exorcism-like holy water sprinkling. No crosses to ward the vampires off... because.. it's  not neccessary. These vampires only have the 2 most definitive traits of vampires, their craving for blood, and their immortality. They don't have superhuman strengths, nor do they go around attacking innocent victims. Instead they lead rather normal lives, feeding off humans only when necessary - and only when they have given their consensus.

Byzantium is a vampire movie not meant to scare, but one to skilfully portray the emotional burden of carrying an unorthodox secret and the loneliness of immortality. Elaeanor is emotionally trapped with this secret and decides to share it with a local boy, leading to dreadful consequences. Realistic playout, credible storyline. 

This movie has the finese, a literary rendition of a classic vampire story which stands out in modern day cliche vampire flicks where love and desire doesn't dominate as the main themes. Just like Interview with the Vampire, there's such a strong focus on the main leads due to the demands of good acting that you cannot not feel for them... making it more than just a "movie-watch", an experience worth craving for.