A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is horror/drama about lonely vampire in an Iranian ghost town. A massive critical success it was praised for its feminist themes.
Friday is finally here and that means that you guys get to watch a great movie and I feel like I’m contributing to your happiness. No selfless deeds, right? This week’s movie is incredible. I really enjoyed this and I’m very excited for you to watch it too. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, much like Let the Right One In, is a masterful take on the vampire tale. Can only foreign films do vampires right? In a world of sparkling, love crossed vampires it definitely seems like this is the case. This movie gets it right.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night introduces us to Arash (Arash Marandi) who’s struggling to get by while maintaining his morals in the fictional city that he lives in called Bad City. He’s a James Dean wannabe with his slicked hair, leather coat and prized ’57 Thunderbird. His father has succumbed to the sins of Bad City; a heroin addict with a huge gambling debt, Arash is trapped by his obligation to help him. Feeling overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his father and the injustice that’s rampant in Bad City, Arash decides to go out and let loose at a costume party. He goes dressed as Dracula and that’s where he meets The Girl.
Iranian-American writer and director Ana Lily Amirpour weaves a beautiful tale filled with incredibly stunning visual cues. Filmed in black and white, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night has a strong western/film noir feel; it almost feels like Humphrey Boggart will come out of the shadows at any moment, pulling on a cigarette and telling The Girl that the gig is up.
The score is another entity on it’s own, weaving it’s way in and out of the scenes seamlessly, as much a part of Bad City as the characters. The contrast in music between the atmospheric background music played when The Girl is out on the prowl versus the Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson that she plays when she is home alone in her room is beautifully chosen.
The actors in this film are so talented. I particularly liked Mozhan Marnò, who plays Atti, a prostitute in Bad City. She was so tired and worn down from life but she still had a spark in her eyes, she hadn’t completely given up. It’s hard to play it both ways, but she gave a wonderful performance. There’s something to be said about the acting talent that can be found in foreign films.
Overall, if you’re a fan of vampires, and I’m talking real vampires here, not the ridiculous glittery kind that has invaded popular culture as of late, then this is a must watch. Dark and menacing yet somehow deeply endearing, this movie is definitely not one to miss.