Children of the Night (aka Limbo) (2014) d. Noel, Ivan (Argentina) 100 min
A journalist (Sabrina Ramos) visits a secluded orphanage where the occupants suffer from an unnamed condition that makes them sensitive to daylight. Upon doing a little digging, she is shocked to learn first that these are all “missing children,” and even more so once it is revealed that they are in fact not kids, but (gasp!) vampires ranging in age from 4 to 120 years old who have been bitten at an early age, forever arrested in their youthful physical state.
These baby bloodsuckers are led and protected by a deeply religious ex-nurse Erda (Ana Maria Giunta) who locates these lost souls and raises them in her sanctuary. Through nocturnal rituals (and the occasional visit to town for human company/sustenance), she keeps them safe... until a band of vigilantes from a nearby village plot to destroy the refuge. Now the children, led by the 90-year-old grandson of Count Dracula (Lauro Veron), must defend their way of life, er, undeath.
There is much to like in writer/director Noel’s spin on well-worn material, in particular the use of fanciful, almost joyous music (which he composed) over the frequent scenes of bloodletting; watching these youthful sharp-toothed beggars swarm over their victims while peppy melodies play immediately brought a grin to my face every single time. In contrast, there are also some tender, emotional moments where mature themes and feelings are expressed through the mouths of babes, recalling the frustrations of the young Homer (Joshua Miller) in Near Dark, a lusty soul trapped in a prepubescent body.
This is a unique vampire tale that should appeal to patient and open-minded genre fans.
Children of the Night is available now on DVD from Artsploitation Films and can be ordered HERE:
http://www.artsploitationfilms.com/film/children-of-the-night/
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