Review: The Transfiguration

(imdb.com)

Since Twilight snatched the vampire subgenre, it’s been difficult to find serious, incredible horror movies about bloodsuckers. While a movie like What We Do in the Shadows gave fans some of what they crave, the film was most definitely a comedy. Even 30 Days of Night, while terrifying, did little to give faith to the subgenre's legs. Revival seems far off, but for those needing a fix, The Transfiguration should do just the trick.


The Transfiguration is a simple, odd feature grounded in reality, but dark to its core. Following a troubled youth with a pension for blood-sucking, this movie is a chaotic spiral and portrayal of mental health, loss and trauma. Milo is in a bad situation; recently recovering from the loss of his mother and working to make ends meet with an admittedly young, immature brother. He meets another social outcast named Sophie, and together, their odd personalities mesh and coagulate into something more disturbing and out-of-touch. The Transfiguration stars young up-and-comers Eric Ruffin (The Good Wife) and Chloe Levine (The OA) as Milo and Sophie, respectively.


This movie is very obviously an indie. It’s a quiet and bubbling slow burn with an eerie and simplistic soundtrack to boot. The Transfiguration may not be the easiest thing for fans of more straight forward horror to devour, but both Ruffin and Levin are terrific. The pair - while fresh - play their roles perfectly; working in tandem to draw viewers into their budding friendship with dreadful precision. There is something so deeply unsettling about the movie's suspense. Even in its quietness, audiences will suspect the film's tension and the badness that'll stem from its characters decisions.


It may feel a little liberal to call The Transfiguration a horror movie, but it should be acknowledged as such. It's got some troubling, devilish moments that cut through its more drama-based plot, and when the viciousness does happen, it comes with such force it’s hard to deny the film's horror-fueled heart. The Transfiguration is a beautiful, but obviously grim coming-of-age film; its character-driven storyline giving viewers a point-of-view that'll leave them in despair, rather than in satisfaction at their concluding story. 6 out of 10.