Time: 91 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Offensive language & suicide references
Cast:
Sara Montpetit as Sasha
Félix-Antoine Bénard as Paul
Steve Laplante as Father
Director: Ariane Louis-Seize

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person was my third movie of the NZIFF. When it came to deciding on which 5 movies of the festival to watch, I selected this simply because I recognised its memorable title. Going in not knowing too much, I ended up quite liking it.

Humanist Vampire is essentially a coming of age story which riffs on a lot of romantic vampire horror movies, and I enjoyed it as such. The movie was a solid and witty screenplay which seamlessly blends multiple different tones, and balances comedy and drama very well, especially when considering that suicide and depression are notable themes. Despite the darker elements, it’s a very compassionate, charming and endearing movie. It is definitely very comedic, the vampire family dynamic is amusing, and the dark comedy plays quite well. The dialogue is witty and the movie has a quirky charm to it, making it fun to watch. It definitely fits in the horror genre with the vampires and blood drinking, but you probably shouldn’t expect a horror movie going in. It’s really more of a darkly funny and melancholic romance movie. Surprisingly, the actual vampire aspect is relatively tame and the level of onscreen violence is quite low, and while I’d say that it could’ve gone further, it at least fits the overall tone and vibe of the movie. At a point the narrative does become a little unfocussed, and while I like where the movie ends, it was a bit too abrupt for me.

The acting is great, particularly from Sara Montpetit and Félix-Antoine Bénard, who make for likable leads. They give their characters some solid emotional depth and have great chemistry between them, conveying the awkward teen romance really well. Montpetit is especially great, charming and sympathetic as protagonist Sasha.

The movie is directed very well by Arian Louise-Seize. I like the visual aesthetics, it’s beautifully filmed with good lighting, and conveys a suitably dark atmosphere, helped by the score from Pilou.

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a darkly funny and enjoyable coming of age romantic comedy, well directed and with great performances. Perhaps it could’ve been more, but I enjoyed it for what it was.