Damien Lewis impresses but little else sparks with this family drama that almost feels embarrassed of its vampire side.
PLOT: It follows a seemingly ordinary family with a dark secret: they are vampires. They choose not to drink blood despite their natural cravings, but their truth is revealed one day.
REVIEW: The tale of the vampire has been told time and time again. Every year we see film after film release that features vampires in some form or another. Abigail, Sunrise, and Salem’s Lot have varied in quality but highlight the variety of stories being told within the subgenre. The Radleys is based on a book by Matt Haig and features a more suburban family approach to Vampirism.
The Radleys follows a family of vampires who have been suppressing their cravings for blood for years. But with their teenage daughter finally coming into her fangs, the family must contend with their cravings. It’s pretty standard when it comes to vampire storylines and doesn’t deter too far from what you would expect. Each of the family members struggles with different aspects of being a vampire. The teens contend with it for the first time while the parents are clearly trying to avoid a path they’ve already ventured down and decided against.
The film focuses a lot on the son, Rowan Radley (Harry Baxendale) as he’s dealing with learning the truth about his family as well as contending with his own sexuality. He’s into his sister’s friend, Evan. But it’s really about the entire family’s struggles with whether or not to embrace their vampire side. The kids see the advantages but the parents know the darker side and are trying to prevent it. But they’re also tempted by the allure and the power of that life.
Damian Lewis has a lot to do here as he plays twins, Peter and Will and they could not be more different. Pete is a doctor and is trying to keep on the straight and narrow while Will is looser and more charismatic. He’s also got a more violent side to him, never having shunned drinking blood. He also has the ability to brainwash people, which ends up being quite useful for the family. I really enjoyed Lewis, especially with how drastically different the twins are. He genuinely feels like two different people. Kelly Macdonald’s
As a vampire fan, I had trouble attaching to The Radleys as it feels desperate to connect with those who don’t like vampires versus appealing to those who do. They’re constantly changing the rules to the point where these “vampires” hardly even feature the same vulnerabilities as their cinematic/literary counterparts. They can walk in the sunlight, only have fangs when convenient, and can even eat normal food. They don’t really feel like social pariahs or anything interesting. If anything, the vampire element could be wiped out of the story, and it could still be told through other means.
Ultimately, The Radleys just wasn’t for me. The horror was so sterile that I questioned why they even used vampires to tell their family drama. It would have probably been better suited as just a drama about family conflict. They never go full bore with any of the vampire elements, and it’s just an accessory to the story. I like my vampires violent or sexy and when you don’t give me either, their inclusion feels unnecessary.
THE RADLEYS will be in Theaters, On Digital and On Demand October 4, 2024.
