Much like the central monsters throughout the film, director Kathryn Bigelow’s acid-soaked vampire Western Near Dark seems to be hiding in plain sight, waiting for horror fans to feast upon the cult classic currently streaming on both Amazon Prime and Shudder.
Beyond the nuanced conception of the vampire, Near Dark extends its alternative take on the monster in terms of dressing the central figures. Rather than rendering the vampires as traditional Gothic creatures cooped up in castles, Bigelow and her costume designers Joseph Porro and Leslie Weir allow the vampires to embody a post-punk aesthetic, full of leather and old flannels and ripped jeans.
While more could be said about the synth-driven soundscape created by the legendary electronic band Tangerine Dream as well as the hope-tinged climax and conclusion, Near Dark deserves to be seen with fresh eyes, as the film remain as narratively inventive and thematically rich as it was upon its release. Even after more than three decades, Near Dark remains one of Bigelow’s greatest achievements and the best vampire film you may have never seen.
mythos1014 I've owned Near Dark on dvd for years. It's one of those greatly underrated vampire films that ever existed. I'll take Near Dark over Twilight any day. NearDark
It has nearly zero distribution right now, too. I once had to sign up for a trial of a movie program through Amazon just to access this. And every physical copy online is stupid expensive. For such a great movie, they really don't want you to be able to see it.