From the billboards, you might think this is yet another vampire movie- heaven help us- when in fact it’s a cross between “Disturbia” and “True Blood”. It’s formulaic and definitely predictable, but it’s played with perfection by its cast, and it works. That’s Colin Farrell in the lead. He’s deliciously creepy as a vampire named Jerry (lol) who moves next door to teenage Charley (the talented Anton Yelchin) and his single mom (Tony Colette). Charley senses something the matter with his new neighbor, but no one believes him at first, not even his girlfriend, played by Imogen Poots (that’s her name, really).  But the real showstopper here is David Tennant, who plays a self proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician. When Charley is out of ideas, he enlists Mr. Tennant to track down and kill Jerry. Let the games begin. Director Craig Gillespie is wise enough to keep things interesting, though the movie is most riveting in its early scenes, when we first get to meet our vampire. The film also cleverly combines horror and comedy and does a good job in providing some suspenseful moments in between the blood and gore. My only complaint is that the CGIs look cartoonish and silly, especially the transformation scenes. “An American Werewolf In London” had better effects, and it was made 30 years ago! Still, there’s plenty to enjoy here, and while the film is not going to set any high marks for new standards in horror, it simply knows who the target audience is, and will probably satisfy those with an appetite for brainless fun. Your call.

Rating: 2.5/4