Perfect Creature

Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Leo Gregory, Scott Willis, Stuart Wilson

Dir. Glenn Standring
Scr. Glenn Standring

I really enjoyed this film. It’s a vampire flick, so that will put some people off immediately. And it’s been critically slammed by some. But, bugger them; this film is unique, dark, and quite scary – essential elements in a horror. It’s not perfect, but it makes for an interesting and entertaining trip to the cinema.

Largely filmed in New Zealand, Perfect Creature is set in an alternative New Zealand, known as Nuovo Zelandia, in about the 1960s. Though, it could be earlier or later, such is the nature of alternative realities. The premise – wait for it … - is that vampires and humans live in peace and harmony. Yay! Vampires, known as the Brotherhood, are actually the next step in human evolution. They are wise and peace-loving and revered much like high priests. They heal, protect and somewhat pity humans, those lesser mortals with too many vices and too much hatred. But, alas, the harmonious balance is threatened when one Brother (Edgar) begins to do, well, what we have come to expect of vampires – kill humans by biting their necks and sucking their blood. The horror!! The police and the Brothers join forces to track him down and stop his wicked ways.

It all gets complicated, but let’s just say there is a virus and a healthy serving of evil and some nasty scenes ahead. Mixed in with some tenderness between leads Dougray Scott (who plays Brother Silus) and Saffron Burrows (who plays police captain Lilly). There’s a lot going on in Perfect Creature – questions of race, genetics, and religion. It’ll have you pondering. Interestingly, I would say that it could have done with another 30 minutes or so. Running at just over 80 minutes, a little more development of relationships and story would have not gone amiss.

The acting is a bit hammy. Scott is good, but a little like a lobotomised mental patient at times. He’s excellent in the more tender moments. Burrows is great as Lilly, who is the object of desire for both Edgar and Silus, but in very, very different ways. Gregory, who plays the twisted Edgar, is just plain frightening. He’s a little over-the-top, especially when he over-annunciates his words, but solid in a necessarily flashy role. Very good performances also from Willis (as Lilly’s colleague) and Wilson (as Silus and Edgar’s father).

The real winner in this film is the way it looks and feels. You can almost smell the stench in the streets and feel the grime under your fingernails – this is a dark, soulless place and you get sucked right into the despair. The production value is superb for what is undoubtedly quite a low budget film. The sets are amazing and the action is compelling and believable.

I would heartily recommend Perfect Creature to those who have a leaning towards the horror/vampire genre – you know who you are … I was thoroughly entertained and interested throughout. It’s reassuring that such an age-old story has something new to offer.