VIDAR THE VAMPIRE 2017 is a horror comedy from Norway. World cinema, this film is one you should make time for. Vidar the Vampire is a horror comedy about a Christian farmer who wakes up to find out he is a vampire. Set up as a documentary of sorts, most of the narrative comes from Vidar himself. He’s a simple man and just wants to sort his life out. One of the many foreign horror movies, you shouldn’t miss.
Quick Film Information for Vidar the Vampire
- Director and writers: Thomas Aske Berg, Fredrik Waldeland. Thomas also features in the film as Vidar.
- Release Date: August 2017 at The Norwegian International Film Festival.
- Starring: Thomas Aske Berg, Brigt Skrettingland and, Kim Sønderholm.
- Produced by UFOH! and Fonton4 Film and distributed by Epic Pictures Releasing under Dread Central Presents.
Vidar the Vampire Review
Vidar the Vampire is filled with jabs at religion. Those that can’t see the funny side of sexual innuendo being applied to that type of theme won’t like this one. Vidar the Vampire is one of those foreign horror movies that are on the easy-going side and flow along at a pace that tends to drag in some parts.
Vidar, the man, is entrenched in loneliness from a young age. Bullied by his peers and trapped by his mother to work on the family farm. In one of the most bizarre encounters with a Jesus-like figure I have ever seen, he discovers he is a vampire. His mother takes him to church but as we all know vampires can’t be cured. Vidar eventually finds his way under the wings of the Jesus vampire who introduces him to the pleasure of life. It’s Vidar’s inept personality that makes this funny and sad at the same time.
As a vampire, Vidar discovers he has access to women and as Jesus’s sidekick also finds this leaves him in a subordinate position once again. Always the underdog and never the top dog, time goes by, and still Vidar isn’t any happier than before. He enlists the counsel of a psychiatrist to help make sense of it all and it’s here we learn about how the story came to be as he recounts his journey through life.
What Happens If You Drink Too Much Blood?
The laughs do come through the many variations of subtle humor about vampire despair set against a religious backdrop. There are also some twists on how Vidar is taught to drink the blood of his victims and follow a life code provided by Jesus. Drinking too much blood is simply the same as hitting alcoholic beverages too hard. Eventually, Vidar assumes the identity of an alcoholic and trots along to Alcoholic Annonymous to cure his illness.
The direction is good and there are some parts that have a psychedelic overlay applied which gives it a dream-like quality. The subtitles are quite funny too and in one scene a character’s name is replaced by her behavioral attribute. Vidar unsuccessfully attempts to pick up a drunk woman outside a bar whose subtitle flashes up as ‘drunk c#@t.’ This is the type of humor that keeps me hanging in there.
I really enjoyed the summation of how psychiatry works along with basic vampire life. This is a memorable film and, if you like dark humor and a quiet ride with strong messages, Vidar the Vampire won’t let you down.
I give Vidar the Vampire
3.5 interesting ways of sucking people’s blood out of 5
The Vidar the Vampire Movie Trailer
