The Forsaken (2001)

"The Forsaken" follows a young film editor who takes a cross-country trip from Los Angeles to Florida for his sister's wedding. Along the way, he picks up a hitchhiker on his way to Texas for unknown reasons—but he gets more than he bargained for when the two come across a disoriented woman at a truckstop. Turns out the hitchhiker is a vampire hunter, the girl is infected, and there's a cult of desert vamps seeking them out.I saw this film years ago back in 2001 when it was released, and recently revisited it almost fifteen years later. Often ranked among film buffs as one of the worst post-millennial vampire movies ever, "The Forsaken" is a hodgepodge of traditional vampire elements with revisionist intentions that don't quite work. The film's greatest idiosyncrasy is that the vampires here are fangless—instead, they were more of a cult of blood drinkers who carry a virus that "turns" those who come into contact with it. The fact that the vampires in the film are not really "vampires" in the traditional sense seemed to have elicited extreme reactions from genre fans. I'm not what I'd consider a hardcore vampire film lover, so I was able to accept this on its own merits, as unusual as it is.While the script is a bit clunky and the character relationships seem arbitrary and at times underdeveloped (this is most apparent in the film's denouement), it does evoke a dusty, creepy desert atmosphere. As beautiful as the desert is, let's be honest: deserts are creepy. They are no man's land—desolate, expansive, and dangerous—and that is something this film gets right. The vast landscapes, long two-lane highways, and dingy desert truckstops are captured fantastically. It largely cribs this atmosphere in co-opting the tradition of road movies, and many have compared it to "The Hitcher," although I think it aesthetically looks more like John Carpenter's "Vampires" (also set in the desert), from which it borrows liberally.The film is nicely shot, with direction from J.S. Cardone, who began his career with the bizarro '80s slasher film "The Slayer," and would go on to script and direct the atrocious remakes of "Prom Night" and "The Stepfather" after "The Forsaken." For all intents and purposes, the direction here is decent, and there are some great images and scenes interspersed throughout. Kerr Smith and Brendan Fehr ground the film as the two male leads, while Izabella Miko is fantastically weird as the mute, traumatized victim of the vampire gang. Jonathan Schaech seems miscast here in my opinion—the role of the vampire leader seems to call for someone who is legitimately intimidating on screen, and he's just not—he's ridiculously sexy in this, but he isn't scary. China Oruche plays his mad sidekick nicely, and Carrie Snodgress probably turns in the most notable performance as a gun-toting desert redneck.Overall, "The Forsaken" is probably not as bad as you've heard it is. It's an entertaining and atmospheric road flick that is legitimately fun. The truth is that it's an average revision of traditional vampire territory, and the amount of flack it's gotten over the years is largely due to the disgruntled vampire fans who want their vampires served a certain way. All in all, it's a decent, bloody desert romp from the early 2000s. 6/10.

I have always had an obsessed with vampires. This movie I have loved ever since I have been little. If you enjoy vampire movies with a lot of blood and mean vampires(Not ones who sparkle) Then this is for you.It's about Nick and Sean who meet a mysterious blonde girl. They get sucked into the world of vampires in the middle of the desert. I think the acting is wonderful. Johnathon does an amazing job as Kit (He pulls off being a vampire, looking sexy and scary and also having that "it" factor to lead the group of vampires). I wouldn't look past this movie at all. It does follow the line of The Lost Boys, John Carpenter's Vampires and Near Dark. This vampires are vicious and vengeful which makes for a good vampire flick.

I've seen worse John Carpenter ripoffs, but this one is pretty blatant. It didn't even really bother ripping off one of Carpenter's better movies, which is kind of perplexing. Still, it was watchable, despite the director's best attempts to drive me off.The Forsaken stars two TV actors alternately chasing after and being chased by a vampire. The vampire is actually one of "the forsaken", a group of blah blah blah, who cares. Yes, there a bit of back story that sets straight all the incorrect vampire myths, tells us their weakness (sunlight), and the rules (must be killed on holy ground). Strangely, if they must be killed on holy ground, I don't understand why they care about sunlight. If sunlight can kill them (they hide during the day), then why do they need to be killed on holy ground? Do they die in sunlight, then instantly come back? Who knows. It's a bizarre plot hole that the director never sought to explain.Like Near Dark, which it also rips off, the vampires are updated to modern times. They use guns to kill people, hide in cars during the daylight hours, etc. It was fresh when Kathryn Bigelow did it, back in the mid 1980s. 15 years later, it's not so fresh.The soundtrack was detestable (full of Nu Metal), but, luckily, most of the music only played for a few seconds, before it faded out. I had blocked out memories of that era, and I resent being forced to experience it again. Without the music, this movie might have gotten a 6/10, but I kind of doubt it.Should you watch this? Sure, I guess. If you're obsessed with vampires, want to watch eye candy prance around, and you miss early 2000s Nu Metal. Otherwise, I'd say... skip it. It's not exactly bad, but there's nothing to recommend. Just stick to Near Dark, Blade, Vampires, or even Anne Rice's melodramatic soap opera, Interview With The Vampire.

Nothing new here (as it reminded me of an hybrid of " "Near Dark (1987)" and "Vampires (1998)", plus a pinch of "The Hitcher (1986)"), but this ultra-sped up, angular and slick (although keeping dirty n' gritty due to its desolate location choice) contemporary vampire tale knows its target audience and plays it accordingly. I didn't have a bad time with this little b-grade item actually, but it sure does feel aimless and it didn't fully grab hold of me.Writer / director J.S. Cardone does a sturdy enough job, and constantly floods the screen with rapid-editing slices to make the blistering action, and disorienting spell of the situation seem more exciting. Sprinkle in some bloody gore and bare skin. Now you can't go wrong. These fitful shots might cop a real shellacking, however it seems to work in favour with its context as Cardone's material has the magnifying glass on the MTV generation. In the long run it's quite an up and down ride, as it seems to want to balance out its lean action with some character development. It wasn't too bad on that front, but a lapse or two towards the dying stages shows up prominently. There was some well-conceived ideas in certain sequences, and Cardone's cutting direction is about the timing, and setting up the hovering threat into well constructed spontaneous action, and darkly nasty spurts. The cinematography is spaciously done when on the road, and frantic during the harsh times, and the pounding soundtrack keeps the brooding tone.Oh no a young good looking cast, but where credit is due the acting was above average. Kerr Smith and Brendan Fehr's appealing, fine tuned lead performances, superbly counter-punches Jonathan Schaech's elastically vicious and sensual vampire part. The stunner Izabella Miko doesn't get up to much, but there for eye candy. Carrie Snodgress is rather enjoyable in her cameo part. The rest of performances are solid, and Phina Oruche is a hard one to forget.