Amidst the Christmas rush, a new Brazilian film surrounding the supernatural theme of Vampires has made its way to Netflix.
A Vampire in the Family follows some recent releases from Brazil, including Criminal Code, Burning Betrayal, and Reporting for Duty.
It has a fairly decent length of ninety minutes. The defining genre of the movie is ‘comedy.’ Plus, in essence, the film is goofy and absurd.
Is it as entertaining as it sounds? Here’s my review.
A Vampire in the Family Synopsis
Fernandinho, a former football player, has a heavy weight to hold in lifelong accusations of deliberately missing a goal during an important match.
His troubles increase when he discovers his brother-in-law is a vampire.
Can he save the day this time and score a figurative goal by kicking the vamp not just out of his house but also from the face of the earth?
Directed by Ale McHaddo, the movie features Leandro Hassum (Fernandinho), Mel Maia (Carol), Monique Alfradique (Vanessa), Renata Bras (Michele), Caio Mendonca (Ameba), and Romulo Arantes Neto (Gregorio).
A Vampire in the Family: Positives
Sometimes, the least publicized movies hit the jackpot with their content. I personally never have much expectations from ideas that are superficial.
A Vampire in the Family is not just a fantasy but also a hard-to-believe one. Still, it impresses on several fronts, starting with the idea itself.
For years, Fernandinho has been accused of deliberately missing a goal for his team. He is considered a traitor by a section of Brazilians.
Consequently, to some extent, his life has become a joke, both in and outside the home.
When he hosts her daughter’s birthday party, the arrival of his brother-in-law, after a five-year gap, makes him clench his teeth.
The situation worsens as Fernandinho discovers his brother-in-law is a vampire. Hence, there’s now a vampire in the family.
The movie takes pride in its goofy and offbeat idea. Despite a supernatural base, it doesn’t go overboard in depicting amazement or astonishment.
The central theme gives A Vampire in the Family good leeway to explore varying reactions.
The storyline has some kind of absurdity that makes you stay on till the very end. Working as embellishments, humor, twists, and subtle edits enhance the tale.
An exciting ambiance works in favor of the movie, delivering enjoyment in decent quantity.
The pace is brisk and you will never find the Brazilian film waning toward dullness due to slowness.
Also, since I mentioned excitement, A Vampire in the Family has a pretty smart screenplay, keeping the narration moving at all times.
What happens mostly is such ideas lose sheen because they fill a particular timeframe with all the luscious parts while leaving the rest of the film wearisome.
A Vampire in the Family doesn’t do this. It spreads equally the fun, quirky dialogues, and the lone fear of Vamps across its duration.
Talking of length, the film is crisp and doesn’t need too much of an investment in terms of time.
How are the Performances?
Leandro Hassum fronts A Vampire in the Family as Fernandinho. His humorous demeanor works really well for the movie.
It is because of his screen presence that you don’t stray away from the film even after a flashy superficial setup.
The actor expresses himself with a peculiar set of skills that demand attention.
A Vampire in the Family: Downsides
Though there isn’t much drama in the plot, the film fails to deliver emotions even on the limited attempts it makes.
The makers could have dramatized such scenes in a better way for a complete experience.
Secondly, a little more focus on the VFX would have landed A Vampire in the Family a top-ranking spot.
The blood-sucking shots needed precision, in my opinion.
Furthermore, as the supposed primary goal of the movie, the comedy isn’t as impactful.
It doesn’t have jokes or situational humor that can make you go wild.
Yes, the aura itself is light-hearted, but the laughter bit is absent from the movie.
Lastly, A Vampire in the Family doesn’t avoid cliches and eventually, it comes down to faith. If your faith is strong, you stand a better chance to win.
Too big a platitude to avoid, I guess, as a viewer.
As you can see, most of the downsides are not outrightly faults. Acing them would have made A Vampire in the Family a movie to remember.
Stream or Skip?
It is a breezy film and you can surely go for it.
