Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person: Movie Review

Cast: Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard, Steve Laplante, Sophie Cadieux, Noémie O’Farrell
Director: Ariane Louis-Seize

Mixing hipster vibes and vampire lore, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person proffers a slice of cool cinema, that's perhaps a little too relaxed in its execution.

It's the tale of sensitive teenage vampire Sasha (Montpetit), who, traumatised after the family slaughter of a clown ordered for her birthday, is struggling to adjust to her lifestyle. Instead of chomping down on hapless victims, Sasha prefers to suck her sustenance from bloodbags - much to the frustration of her mother.

Sent away to live with her cousin (O'Farrell) as a sharp shock to the system and to help her get over the compassion she feels for dying animals, Sasha forms a bond with Paul (Bénard), a depressed teen who's planning his own death.

As she helps him edge closer to his mortal end, Sasha finds herself embracing a new life through Paul - and helping him live out his dying wishes - something which pushes her desire to help him to breaking point.

Pushing quirk and aesthetics above all else, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person spends a little too long revelling in its oddness and not enough time building the depth of poignancy that it so clearly wants to achieve.

Montpetit is great as Sasha, imbuing her character with the teenage angst and outsider-vibe than many feel, helping her double down on her ostracism from life and the lifestyle of her family. But Benard simply gives his Paul nothing more than wide eyes and a kind of simpering vibe that doesn't help his case or his character.

That's not to say there aren't laughs from unexpected places within Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person; but they come from minor moments rather than a script that feels polished.

More successful perhaps is the overall execution of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. From a sweet and aching tone to some impressively-lit and staged scenes, the film's more about a swoon-worthy vibe in places than a deep narrative engagement.

It has charm aplenty and a lead actor to die for, but it's not quite enough to ensure this vampire tale is one for all eternity.

This film is playing as part of the 2024 Whanau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival. For more details, visit nziff.co.nz