Midnight Son (2011) User Reviews

Here we go again

[LOL101LOL · 7/10 · 26 June 2012]

I have been a fan of vampire films since I was young, and grew up with the classic vampire myths, no day walkers, no fighting werewolf's and no teenage never die over the top Hollywood type of films. Sure there are some great films about bloodsuckers that had huge budgets, great cast. great script, and then there are all those oh so forgettable cheap teen kiss love over the top vampire films of late, but this small budget B grade film fits in with the better ones.

Don't sit there and wait for a well know actor to show up, the acting is kind of stiff at times, not to much blood, but those short comings are well made up for with a fresh new story line, sure it sort of grabs bits of other films, but it still stands by it self.

It is well paced, direct to the point, and a whole lot better then some of the garbage of late, give it a go! I gave it a 7 out of 10

Slow starter but brilliant at the end.

[madsimon · 7/10 · 13 January 2013]

First part of the movie is slow. I was watching it thinking is it actually going to be any good or maybe it's another cheap try on very popular recently subject. It looks cheap but not ridiculous thanks to a very decent acting (especially from Jo D. Jonz). The movie eventually is gripping you and the second part is very good and some shots are just brilliant. There are few details/mistakes that slipped or points that could have been resolved in a more logical way but they don't spoil the movie. I was expecting certain mood and atmosphere in this film and watching it in a cinema really helped. It seems to be inspired by "Addiction" by Abel Ferrara. The director shows lots of potential and I can't wait for another one to see if he can prove it.

Better than Twilight

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 12 April 2015]

MIDNIGHT SON is an ultra low budget obscurity about a mild-mannered young man, hanging out on the streets of Los Angeles at night, who comes to discover that his rare skin condition (he burns in sunlight) is actually vampirism. The film follows two separate paths, following the guy's coming to terms with his real nature alongside his developing romance with an equally damaged drug addict.

For a really low budget film set within an overworked sub-genre, MIDNIGHT SON is a surprisingly decent little movie. It helps that the script is smart and literate, but it's the likable actors who really make you pay attention to this one. Zak Kilberg is fine and sympathetic as the newly fledged vampire while Maya Parish is heartbreaking as the object of his affections.

Although romance plays a big part in MIDNIGHT SON, the story is so dark and brooding that I didn't mind. This is much, much better than the big budget nonsense of TWILIGHT, filled as it was with silly scenes and bad acting; MIDNIGHT SON is much more realistic and downbeat. I particularly liked the evocative soundtrack, full of held notes and distorted sounds which add to the sense of growing unease.

Hidden Gem

[RockDragon · 25 October 2011]

Got to see this at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Wasn't really expecting a whole lot, as these are generally low budget movies. Except, this film ended up being the type that transcends the need for a large budget.

Can a movie about Vampires feel plausible? This one can. Everything was done with subtlety and grace, there was no need for suspension of disbelief. There were no unbelievable premises, sparkles or holy water.

Ultimately, there are lots of issues that could be applied allegorically to this particular brand of vampirism. It could have been a story about AIDS, Drug Addiction or Religious Zealots. Any condition, communicable, debilitating and ostracizing.

The casting was great, characters seemed organic and multifaceted. Everyone has their flaws and they are better for it. This is a gritty, raw film which never treats the audience like idiots. Never causes one to ask why, or shake their head in idle disbelief. It is smart and honest, authentic and unyielding.

A great first full length effort which will hopefully propel the careers of all involved.

Terrible Marketing Campaign, Good Movie

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 18 July 2012]

The story of a young man confined to a life of isolation, due to a very rare skin disorder. His world changes when he meets a local bartender and falls in love.

I have to get this off my chest: this film is not "Twilight". For some reason, someone decided to make the movie cover and the text on the back of the box imply that this was a "Twilight" ripoff. It is not. In fact, the romance is a relatively small part of the film compared to the man's struggle with his illness.

Why the box did not emphasize this better storyline or that it starred Arlen Escarpeta ("Friday the 13th") is beyond me. Nor did they mention that the executive producer is Eduardo Sanchez ("Blair Witch Project"), who is getting to be quite a respected figure in the world of cinema.

I am torn on whether this film is good or not. I liked it, I think it has potential and was made very well, but then it has one possible problem: plot holes. Not plot holes in the sense that things did not make sense, simply that they were left out. I do not want to get into spoilers, but I will say the illness is rather mysterious, as is a night nurse's extracurricular activities. Both could have been explained more, but were not. (Perhaps they are in the commentary, I have not checked yet.)

I give this film an endorsement, but only a minor one. There are enough films out there that there is no rush for this one. But for those who like the more biological approach to vampirism, this may be worth checking out. It could make a good double feature with "Martin".

Can a junky and a vampire find true love?

[JoeB131 · 4/10 · 15 January 2012]

I think all the positive reviews have been from people who worked on the film.

Anyway, we have yet another movie where the once noble vampire is turned into a pathetic sissy-boy. Our hero is a young security guard who can't stand sunlight and has a taste for blood, preferably human. It oddly never occurs to him that he might be a vampire.

He meets a hot cocaine addict whose nosebleed triggers his vampiric tendencies. He then proceeds to attack people while a rather bumbling detective is on his trail. He gets involved with a punk hospital orderly who is willing to sell him blood.

Some of the ideas are interesting, too bad no one involved could actually act.

A Vampire Romance

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 31 August 2012]

Jacob works a night shift as a security guard in a building in Los Angeles. He has a rare skin condition, preventing him from being able to be out in the daylight. He develops a need for blood, which he satisfies at first, by getting it from a butcher. His body soon rejects the animal source and he finds a way to buy the human variety from a street hustler. He meets Mary, a strange girl selling candy and cigarettes outside a club. They begin an offbeat romance of sorts, and the first time they try to have sex, Jake's eyes turn cat like, and Mary leaves. When she returns and sees paintings of sunsets, she asks to take one home. An art gallery is shown the work, and Mary convinces him to let her try to sell them at a show. In the meantime, the vampire artist/security guard, struggles to obtain fresh blood. The romance is on again, off again, as the odd couple dance around the truth. The story is a standard one with two very good performances by Zak Kilberg and Maya Parish. They have chemistry, and made me want to see them make it and survive their troubles. It is certainly a step above the Twilight series of Stephenie Meyer.

pathetic!

[ogreen336 · 1/10 · 26 June 2012]

man this is a load of crap! seriously, i mean it took the whole movie for him to come to the full fact that he is a vampire! the whole movie! the only sensible kill is the last few seconds of the movie and that was purely coincidental. just like take shelter, where are these producers/directors/writers getting these half baked and malnourished ideas to put in a movie? its so lame and corny. the dude saved the girls life only to leave her locked in a room dying of hunger and still has the nerve to return without any blood for her, if that cop wasn't on his tail she would have most likely died in his stupid pathetic arms. this movie is rubbish.

Captures the Desperation of Loneliness. This is the adult drama that Twilight should have been.

[leonthesleepy · 10/10 · 6 July 2012]

Making an absorbing drama film in this day in age is a tough job, let alone a Vampire drama.

In an age where the mainstream craves for constant action and visual effects, or shallow drama's with their favorite teen stars, Midnight Son is a burning example of an emotional and captivating drama.

It isn't flashy, it isn't filled with actors you would know, it is instead filled with grounded performances, and people, instead of caricatures.

First, i want to address the comparison to Twilight. Don't worry, this is NOTHING like Twilight, and i wont spoil anything, but i have to admit, the setting is pretty similar, even the main character looks eerily like Jasper.

In Twilight, we have Edward, a vampire masquerading as a teenager to fit in, in which he falls in love with Bella, beginning 4 novels of shallow wants and needs, without ever showing what it means to be a vampire.

In Midnight Sons case, its the same premise, except without the fake glamor, and watered down drama. It focuses on the transformation, and the slow realization of the impossible happening, as well as the consequences.

Midnight Son for the most part, is a character study on its lead,Jacob.

Jacob is an outsider.

He sleeps in the day, works the night shift as security. Since young, he developed a disease in which sunlight hurts his skin. As a result, loneliness became his daily function.

For the bulk of the film, it isn't just an exploration of the vampire lore, it explore the people behind them.

On one of his nights, his rare conditions starts acting up, he seeks help, after exhausting common methods, he goes for more drastic measures.

A slow realistic buildup is the name of the game here.

Midnight Son never feels false, Jacob is entirely self aware of how ridiculous being a vampire sounds. So he proceeds with caution. Upon a chance encounter, he meets a local bartender, who is just as broken as he is.

The performances all around are brilliant, with a strangely personal performance by Zak Kilberg, Jacob. He balances dread, danger and sincerity flawlessly, and becomes the films driving force. Pacing is strong as well, we never delve too long on a plot point, and the story never stalls.

The supporting cast is uniformly strong as well, from the love interest to the smallest roles, the craftsmanship here is impressive, and not just from a low budget perspective.

Again, the less you know of this film, the better. Jacobs journey is one of both warmth and sadness. The tones switch masterfully, due in no small part to its atmospheric score, and the love plot has a constant danger to it, something the entire Twilight series lacked.

Filmed in a documentary style, this is a no nonsense, at times brutal approach to vampire lore.

Its mature serious atmosphere is reminiscent of other greats like Let The Right One In.

There aren't much flaws to this gem, other than the fact its a small scale film, and the realistic art style isn't the most attractive, and visually, it could be more inventive, as its the only aspect that comes off as low budget. Though it does lend to the films realistic tone.

Other than its visuals, its low budget aesthetic never distracts.

In a perfect world, this would be the cultural phenomenon that Twilight is. If you want an adult drama about real people, with real emotions, consequences and danger, pick this one up. Even if you aren't into vampire lore, the drama here is certainly for anyone who can stomach it.

Hopefully it finds the right audiences and is appreciated for the mature, sincere adult drama that it is.

Highly recommended.

A canine short of truly compelling...

[MrGKB · 6/10 · 8 December 2012]

...but nonetheless praiseworthy, writer/director Scott Leberecht's debut feature ought to surely lead to bigger and better projects, not just for Leberecht, but his leads as well; without their solid portrayals, "Midnight Son" wouldn't have worked nearly as well as it does. This one reminded me of "Zombie Honeymoon," another lo-fi genre feature that managed to transcend its budget.

Zak "Zombie Strippers" Kilberg plays the heliophobic protagonist with just the right touch of pathos, while Maya Parish usually keeps up with him as the smitten love interest. A variety of well-established (Tracey "I Spit On Your Grave" Walter, Larry "Deadwood" Cedar, and Juanita "Meet the Browns" Jennings) and contending (Jo D. "Next Day Air" Jonz, Arlen "Final Destination 5" Escarpeta, and Kevin "The Amazing Spider-Man" McCorkle) character actors lend extra authority to the proceedings. One might question the likelihood of the misbegotten romance (Parish is noticeably older than pretty boy Kilberg), the back stories aren't terribly well fleshed out, and a few of the plot devices feel forced (cf. the crooked hospital worker with a secret), but overall "Midnight Son" plays nicely. It may not be as memorable as its obvious (and superior) progenitors like "Near Dark" and "Vampire's Kiss," but it does the job with no shortage of heart. And, thankfully, it makes no attempt to lampoon or even acknowledge that sparkly vampire potboiler that dealt such a noxious blow to the genre. Recommended.

Don't let the rating fool you. This is one of the most haunting vampire films you'll ever see

[callanvass · 8/10 · 5 March 2014]

(Credit goes to IMDb) The story of a young man called Jacob who is confined to a life of isolation, due to a very rare skin disorder. His world changes when he meets a local bartender and falls in love. Jacob's condition worsens and forces him to drink human blood for sustenance - leading to law enforcement suspecting him in a series of grizzly murders

I saw this one a while ago. I came across it in the now defunct video rental store I went to. I really wasn't expecting anything from this movie, I rented it because there was nothing else to rent. I had no idea it would elicit so many feelings from me. This isn't a vampire film for teenagers, this one is frighteningly real, and extremely bleak. It's about a sequestered human being forced to live a life of loneliness. Watching Jacob's condition worsen throughout the film was rather disturbing, but riveting at the same time. It even throws in a love story. Jacob and Mary were two unique souls, making their relationship saddening and likable. We get some really gross gore bits, gore hounds should be happy. To be honest, I was filled with too many emotions to concerted on it. Zak Kilberg is fantastic for such an unknown as Jacob. Maya Parish is his match as the drug addict Mary. I'm not gonna spoil much more, see for yourself. Don't avoid it because not many talk about it. As it pertains to vampire films, this is one of the best you'll possibly see. At least in my opinion it is. Make sure you're in the right frame of mine to appreciate it

8.7/10

Well worth a watch!

[faraday_dark_star · 7/10 · 29 January 2016]

A refreshing take on the vampire genre, good acting throughout and fresh ideas. Not your typical vampire yarn and thankfully a million miles away from the Twilight Saga. Jacob is both believable and likable and the actor did an amazing job in portraying him.

Tastefully filmed and and cleverly done, this is one of those films that you could go back and watch again and again.

If I could change anything about it, it would be the title; 'Midnight Son' - granted, it's an interesting name but I'm not sure if it lends much to the film.

Overall, great acting, great plot, great filming! Will definitely be on the look out for more of Scott Leberechts work! A solid 7/10 :)

One of the best, scariest and most 'human' vampire films I've seen in years ; seek this one out!

[george.schmidt · 1 November 2011]

MIDNIGHT SON (2011) ***1/2 Zak Kilberg, Maya Parish, Larry Cedar, Jo D. Jonz, Tracey Walter, Arlen Escarpeta. Newcomer filmmaker Scott Leberecht has skillfully concocted one of the best, scariest and most 'human' vampire films I've seen in years (since "LET ME IN", the American remake of "LET THE RIGHT ONE IN" with its clever and original premise : an introverted young man (nicely and conflictingly portrayed by the handsome Kilberg who has a slight resemblance to Jude Law), an overnite security guard in LA whose sudden health issues unleashes an unearthly hunger that cannot be appeased until his desire to slake this sudden onset craving for blood (!) To add insult to injury he meets a beautiful club girl (the ethereally sexy Parish who has some serious acting chops on display here!) whose cocaine habit also adds peril to their budding relationship as the two strangers. What will finally divide them – her addiction, or his (!) – is what the stakes raised in this beautifully tragic romantic thriller that wisely avoids the "TWILIGHT"-ization bastardization of the genre and sharply gets under the skin with its all-too real/surreal look at what makes a person come into their own: fear, acceptance and the thread of connecting with another. Case in point on the latter : the sequence when Parish and Kilberg bond over her noticing his artistic talent with some very vividly haunting paintings sold this movie to me as being REAL and investing myself in their pain and loneliness ; truly some master acting. Leberecht weaves a finely attuned tapestry of humor, heartbreak and horror with élan and the cast as a whole works wonders (i.e. Jonz' as a sinister and unlikely aide-de-camp to Kilberg's scoring of human blood : a disgruntled hospital attendee with some dark, brooding undercurrents and the film's true kudo to casting veteran character actor Walter as Kilberg's janitor co-worker who truly sums up the film in his metaphor of the doomed young man's 'transformation' ala the butterfly from chrysalis!) Echoes of Romero's "MARTIN" and Cronenberg (the tenderhooks romance of "THE FLY" ; seriously Parish has hypnotized me with her gentle-yet-tough exterior turn that rivals Geena Davis). A must see(k) for horror film aficionados and just plain film lovers in general! One of the year's best!

Better than I thought it would be.

[LewisAugustine · 7/10 · 28 October 2020]

The acting is good considering I don't recognize most of the cast. And the story is interesting. However it is a slow burn. If you are looking for thrills and jump scares this is the wrong horror movie. If you are interested in a study on the misery, loneliness and desperation of being infected with vampirism, then this is pretty good.

MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST BE FRIENDS

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 19 May 2019]

The film is a modern take on the vampire theme minus the supernatural and magical elements. Twenty-four year old Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a recluse who paints and works nights as mall security. He meets Mary (Maya Parish) who likes the nose candy and has her own issues. Through a series of events Jacob discovers he likes blood, human blood like a fat kid likes cake.

He develops cravings which gets him into the expected mess as one might guess when someone craves human blood. You don't see everything that happens. This is to create the feeling of Jacob's black outs and the production's budgetary concerns. Such is art.

The movie ends at the point it would start to make an interesting film such as "Psychos in Love" which I liked better.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Maya Parish)

Excellent.

[crayonzero · 9/10 · 10 March 2013]

An excellent, atmospheric and brooding horror film with a soul. This is not a cheap and tacky gore fest, it is a sharply written and engaging story of a young man who develops a condition that utterly changes his life.

The lead actor, Zac Killberg, inhabits his role totally. He is surely a massive name in the making, the other parts are all solid and convincing. The director, Scott Leberecht is now on my film stalker list. I'll hunt down his next film eagerly.

It is appalling that a film like this is barely heard of while utter drivel like "Transformers" rakes in the millions.

It deserves to be widely seen, so see it.

Jewel of the Festival

[lisacarrera · 9/10 · 16 June 2011]

Watched this last night at San Francisco's Hole in the Head Festival held at the Roxie Theater. Film way exceeded my expectations. Love the needling pace that works on the mind and builds tension, slowly, throughout. Well-acted. Great casting. Main actor reminded me of a more soul-less Robert Pattison. Clever storyline for an old world theme. A few scenes were abruptly edited but as a whole seemed to work as it left a lot to the imagination. I felt chills run up my spine and eked out a few edge-of-the-seat screams as I grabbed the arm of the guy sitting next to me. Would definitely see this film again. Highly recommended.

Haunting

[dinky-4 · 8/10 · 7 May 2011]

This played at the 2011 Minneapolis/St. Paul Film Festival as one of the "Late Night" offerings, and its labeling as a "vampire" movie probably discouraged some potential viewers. Let's face it, vampire movies have been done to death with all the creative juices long since having been drained out of them -- right? Writer-director Scott Leberecht, however, has somehow found a way to approach this material in such a way that, almost without your realizing it, and without resorting to any of the usual gimmicks, he's created a small, quiet movie that slowly gets under your skin and haunts the corners of your mind. The final image, resembling a Mayan frieze, will burn into your memory. Praise goes to lead actors Zak Kilberg and Maya Parish with a special nod to Jo D. Jonz as the worker in a hospital blood lab. While not as good as last year's "The Revenant," this can at least be mentioned in the same breath and that's high praise indeed.

Do you know what a surprise mean, it is Midnight Son...

[Reno-Rangan · 8/10 · 10 July 2013]

A little surprise in fact a lot, this is a little sweet movie, mostly underrated because it is a B list movie. No big actors or big film makers but still this is something amazing especially the story was so good, and it is the backbone and highlights.

I wanted to say what this movie is all about but I should be more cautious of leaking any spoilers. A young poor man with a rare disease meets a girl then their lives see the changes one with a right and another with a wrong direction with a twist on right time.

This movie was made so cleverly, the cast was perfectly picked, I never seen them before in any movie but they performed good so the direction. The movie looked a bit realistic due to the screenplay. A nice quality flick for a low budget.

Pleasantly surprised

[Ergolad · 8/10 · 12 January 2012]

I went to a screening of this not expecting much. It's got its rough spots, but on a whole I liked it. The idea is fresh (for a vampire flick) and the performances are fairly good. Maya Parish acts outside the box and Jo D. Jonz makes some interesting choices. It's got the look of film shot on the cheap, probably flying under the radar a few times sans permits, but for the most part that serves the overall grittiness of the thing. This is actually one I'd like to see revisited à la EVIL DEAD. I'd be curious to see what could come of it with more cash, a little script polish, etc. Hope to see this create some more opportunities for these film makers. Curious to see what's next. Totally worth checking this one out.

Dark Gritty and beautiful

[AriellaJS-1 · 10/10 · 5 March 2011]

I took my meetup group to go see the premiere of this movie and we all loved it! We even had people in our group who were not vampire movie fans and they loved it too. The characters are well developed and the movie seems to blossom and unfold as you get to know the characters and they get to know themselves. Beautiful effects, and cinematography. The tone of the movie is reminiscent of classic vampire films and (thankfully) balances out the modern trend of teen friendly idealised young romantic vampire movies. Fantastic acting writing and directing. Highly recommended for Vampire fans, Independent movie fans, horror fans, and people who like real down to earth and offbeat movies. Not for children!

The art of Vampire genre

[dezzed-346-856504 · 10/10 · 19 July 2012]

This film is well done in all aspects, all of them have in common the modesty of the makers, gentleness and accuracy. No superheroes,no saving the world just good old love story that involves kind of vampires, forget the "Blade" , our heroes r humans like us with a bit of twist.

Very much enjoyed this one recommended

if u don't care for shoot outs, chases and explosions.

p.s. nice audio work

why IMDb make us write at least 10 lines? why IMDb make us write at least 10 lines? why IMDb make us write at least 10 lines?

Darkness

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 25 January 2012]

This is a very bleak film, that plays out more like a drama than a horror movie. Our main character fights his inner demons and by doing so, fights his urges. Or does he? That is the beautiful part of it all. It seems to play as you intend it to play. You could think that he actually is, what he believes he is, but you could also think that he isn't. To a point that is, this plays both sides.

I really liked the movie and the repressed performance by the main actor. He and the movie itself did remind me of a Jude Law movie, that got made about 20 years ago. Although I'm sure most people will compare this to the recent "Let the right one in", I hope you'll check the other one out too.

Infuses fresh new blood into a tired genre....

[ccmiller1492 · 9/10 · 4 August 2014]

Lately the vampire genre has been done to death, with long-running TV series, etc. But somehow, this fine little film has slipped through the cracks, while infusing new blood into the tired formula. I had no expectation of this film being anywhere near as good as it is...but now I would rank it among the best in the genre which boasts very few good entries beyond some of the classic treatments based on the original Bram Stoker novel such as "Brides of Dracula", and the rarer contemporary updates such as "Vampire at Midnight", and "Blood and Donuts"

Zak Killberg's is surely the most realistic and sympathetic portrayals of any of these films...his depiction of the confusion, fear, hesitation, and abysmal lack of self-esteem and loneliness as he struggles to cope with his "illness" and its consequences is nothing less than masterful. It is obvious that this young man is a great actor not yet discovered. His own personality as revealed in an interview extra on the DVD is nothing like the character he so brilliantly portrays in the film. Killberg is upbeat and confident. Contrast his own character with the persona he portrayed and it seems worthy of an Oscar! This is certainly a film that deserves a much greater audience and it may very likely become a treasured cult film in future. Hopefully viewers will have the opportunity to see much more of Mr. Killberg in future..

Surprised & satisfied

[celestinoavilajr · 9/10 · 3 July 2022]

This movie is one of those gems that's very satisfying in every aspect.. horror, romance and a, little action being on a simple budget yet the plot is unique.. if you don't mind watching a low budget movie we'll this is a must watch.. Im always looking for hidden gems and this deffinetley fits in that catagorie... 9/10.