Styria

Lots of potential but no PUNCH. It does not follow through. The actors seem to be sleep walking through their roles. Probably fault of the director. Completely unsatisfying ending. Filled with clichés and scenes that done better in other movies. I kept thinking the movie was finally going to make the viewer jump but did not. Ultimately not worth the time or effort.

The previous reviews of Styria are wildly mixed, from rave to pan. Some reviewers are clearly not all that familiar with moody Gothic horror, and in particular those films (and television) from the 1960's and '70's, and so the film seems fresh and unique. Others have very logical minds, and so the incongruities of the film are unforgivable. I'll try to have my comments come from a mindset somewhere in the middle... Styria is a highly flawed and yet handsome film, full of attractive actors (specifically actresses), a rich Gothic mood, and unusual locations. The characters are highly inconsistent, the signals often repetitive, and the dialogue usually rings of 'English as a second language' awkward. Though the plot is often subtle, the individual scenes are more regularly heavy-handed. The cast is extremely photogenic, which seems to be at the cost of acting... none are truly terrible, but leads Eleanor Tomlinson as Lara, particularly in her scenes with Stephen Rea, and Julia Pietrucha as Carmilla, choke out their unnatural dialogue and often play understated emotions as if to the last row of the theater. The worst performance is Jacek Lenartowicz as General Spiegel, completely over the top and nonsensical. One might argue that the film is intended to have a dream-like feel, which it most likely is, and that the ambiguity of the characters is meant to reflect this, but his true motives are so heavily confirmed near the end that whatever point intended by the vagueness is completely lost. In fact the motives of all of the characters are brought into question at one point or another, which I feel is one of the films strengths. But none are resolved in an interesting manner. ******************************spoilers************************* Perhaps the biggest flaw to the film is the crazy number of concepts set forth to explain the strange goings-on. There's the ancient stairwell, the backwards townsfolk, the vampire theory, the idea of some spirit who periodically comes forward to compel young women to commit suicide. The outcome is unclear, though the Showtime blurb on the movie (shown under the name 'Angels of Darkness') is "Lara's psychic wounds cause a living nightmare that consumes an entire town". This is arguably the most interesting explanation of events, though not made clear by the story, and one probably not taken from the source novel, 'Carmilla'. Early in the film it's explained that Lara was accused of pushing a girl down the stairs at her former school, and as a result was expelled. She denies this, and her journal, full of stylized watercolors, shows the scene as if Lara's shadow did the pushing. Is the implication that Lara is psychokinetic, and the loss of her new and close friend Carmilla, mixed with her delusions based on the local myths, is somehow creating a psychic wave that compels the local girls to kill themselves? The townspeople, with no explanation other than 'you're not from here', seem to blame Lara for the tragic events. Some even kill the afflicted girls, as if they're somehow contagious. All very muddy... Overall a messy, interesting film, not a waste of time but far from satisfying and whole. The finest attribute, the beautiful imagery, has mostly to do with the attractive cast and highly textured settings. Otherwise a grab bag of too many unexplored ideas, wild inconsistencies, and heavy acting and dialogue.

I missed the first half hour of this horror film that I guess is an updated version of Sheridan LeFanu's precursor of "Dracula", so these few comments must be qualified. It's a gloomy and atmospheric film, shot with deliberate artiness in a cold and inhospitable castle in wintry Hungary. The land is sparsely populated with superstitious villagers who always dress in black and are hostile to the point of menace. There are few daylight scenes and they're photographed through a chill fog. It makes you not want to visit Hungary and to hell with the tokay. Living in the castle for some reason are Steven Rhea and his daughter Eleanor Tomlinson. The castle also appears to be the home of Carmilla, Julia Pietrucha, who befriends Tomlinson and more or less seduces her. Don't worry -- no nudity, alas. Nobody else seems to be able to see Carmilla so she may be a ghost. The general idea is that if you kill yourself you become a vampire -- or something. I missed that half hour but I'm not sure it would have cleared up this turgid plot. Steven Rhea has always had an expressively droopy face, but time seems to have carried his features closer to the Platonic ideal of droopiness. It's a magnificent face. Eleanor Tomlinson's face is pretty good too. She's innocent, winsome, and it adds to her charm. But there is so much cutting with glass, cannibalism, spades through the hearts of corpses that then spout blood, that I can't explain how Tomlinson wound up with blood smeared across her lips as she and Rhea manage to escape the tumult at the end. The atmosphere is great but the plot is even more elliptical. I couldn't see watching it just in order to capture than missing half hour.

Wow, I haven't seen a movie like this in a long time. This is a classical Gothic experience, set in the 1980s. In Hungary. Dang it. Long story time: It's beautifully shot, especially considering the relative newcomer status of the Directors (there's two by the way). The script really shows the work that was put into it, that they worked it until it was the best possible version of the story possible. The story, by the way is an adaptation of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. It's a vampire tale in the most classical of molds, though it's also a tale of modern youth (done so seamlessly that the fantastical elements could easily be the product of a troubled mind, though the mental illness aspect is still treated rather realistically). Actually it hands a certain problematic part of culture (cutting. I'll say it. The main character was a cutter) very well, not promoting it nor demonizing it. The acting is fantastic, Stephen Rea providing a decent performance as the distracted dad (ergo not in it very much but being focal to the resolution), Julia Pietrucha turns in a very decent performance as the seductive and mysterious Carmilla, but Eleanor Tomlinson is the eyes of the movie. She provides a character that is tortured, yet curious, enthralled, yet wishing for freedom. The location is one of a kind and provided a greater character to the scenes. This movie needs to be seen and supported, as film like this needs to be made. It's available on Amazon and Itunes as Angels of Darkness, so check it out if you have the chance.

Styria comprising all the elements of a renown film, and it will stay on the collective unconscious of those who know which are the real condiments so difficult to achieve, practically, its not only an excellent work of direction of Mauricio Chernovetzki and Mark Devendorf, its an impeccable work of production design, an exquisite photography, and the art work its nothing less than a luxury. With actors like Stephen Rea, Eleanor Tomlinson and Julia Petrucha make the shape for a classic work and one of the few that will stay on the memory of people that really appreciate art works like Styria. Its a shame that always be the movie dealers or business mans that chose the target, most of the time a commercial one. But nonetheless, its classic work

I saw this at a festival about a year ago, and was happy to finally find it online. I really enjoyed it when I first saw it, and it really stuck with me for a few days after. I kept trying to tell people about it after, but could never find it available anywhere. Now I'm glad it's finally been released, although I think the title may be different. It is very atmospheric, and haunting. The day after I saw it, I was trying to look up information about it, but aside from a couple articles, it was hard to find info about when it would be released. Now that it's out, I watched it again, and liked it just as much the second time. It was nice to see a horror/Gothic horror movie set in the 1980s Eastern Europe. I also loved Eleanor Tomlinson, and thought she was great in this role. Overall, I'd highly recommend this movie to film fans.

Styria (Aka Angels of Darkness) is a superbly made independent Gothic thriller. I noticed one of the reviewers was thoroughly confused. I guess some people like movies like their chain restaurants. Not me. I was excited to let go and experience something unique and unexpected. The title of Angels of Darkness doesn't do this film justice. It's way to generic and unsubtle. This film is more like a classic supernatural tale. It's very dreamlike and beautifully shot. The acting is wonderful as well. I think the key to watching this film is letting go of expectations about what a supernatural movie or a vampire story should be about. There are lots of ideas and well explored themes. But I think the the thing that I loved the most was the overall MOOD! I can't wait to watch it again!

After waiting what seemed to be a lifetime to see this film, Styria was finally released on Hulu Plus. It was worth the wait. Everything about this film is designed to challenge your senses. The pacing, the art direction, the cinematography, the score, everything about this film is used to draw you in. The boldness that the filmmakers showed in modernizing such an amazing story was a gamble that easily paid off. If you took the best parts of Murnau's Nosferatu and Fukunaga's Jane Eyre and blended them together, this is the movie that would emerge. This is easily one of the best vampire films of the last 20 years. Sheridan Le Fanu would be proud of this adaptation.

I just saw this movie on Hulu Plus. I hadn't heard of it. But I love Stephen Rea, so I decided to see what it was all about. Needless to say, I was not disappointed! This is not your typical supernatural horror movie. It's a slow burn. But there's so much beauty in every image. And there are a lot of visual references and historical layers. I very taken by Eleanor Tomlinson's performance as Lara. And after watching I did some research and realized it is an adaptation of a novella called Carmilla. Now I know what I'll be doing this weekend! I wish more movies were made like this today, atmospheric, beautiful, and full of interesting details!

One of the most beautiful cinematic experiences I have had in ages, "Styria" is a film like no other. It is at once a creepy little Gothic romance and a psychological drama - a rich and complex film that flirts with death, guilt and suicide, but does so in such a seductive way that it makes it utterly irresistible. The performances firmly ground the film in an emotional reality, whilst making the ancient metaphors, dreams and nightmares flesh. But like all great films it remains a mystery and far more than the sum of its parts. Like the castle in which the story plays out, "Styria" begs us to return back to it and go deeper, beyond the layers of history and narrative, into something very primal and very beautiful.