Aspiring vampire romance novelist Olivia Romo (Dennice Cisneros) spends Christmas alone in a cabin at Lake Tahoe. As she works on the latest draft of the novel she’s trying to get published, her work is interrupted when an injured bat flies into her window. Taking the bat inside the house, Olivia nurses it and is surprised to find that it is actually a vampire by the name of Luke (Nico Bellamy). As Olivia nurses Luke back to health, her peace is disturbed once again by vampire hunter Julius King (Vernon Wells) and vampires from Luke’s social circle.
‘Red Snow’ from writer/director Sean Nichols Lynch is a fresh take on the vampire genre, offering a more comedic look that pokes gentle fun at the vampire romance sub-genre that spawned the likes of the ‘Twilight’ franchise. While ‘Red Snow’ isn’t exactly a great love story, it does pair up a rather kooky heroine with a dashing vampire who isn’t afraid to flash his washboard abs. Seeing an opportunity to increase her chances of getting published, Olivia coaxes Luke into giving her notes on her manuscript in exchange for regular cups of pig’s blood to help him heal.
Things take a turn when Julius shows up looking for Luke and warns Olivia that the vampire is very dangerous. Not sure whether to believe him or not, Olivia pretends she’s not seen Luke, and that kicks off a chain of events that puts her life in danger. While the premise of the film is sound enough, the pacing of the story is problematic often moving too slow and not offering sufficient build-up or pay-off once the action ramps up. With limited development, particularly for the supporting players that show up in the second half, it’s hard to really get under the skin of the central characters.
The relationship that forms between Olivia and Luke certainly has its moments but the chemistry between the two actors is limited. Dennice Cisneros gives a wonderfully eccentric performance as Olivia, proving to be believable as a withdrawn and quirky young woman with a potentially unhealthy vampire obsession. Nico Bellamy certainly looks the part of the brooding vampire but his performance is too restrained, and at times overly stilted. He’s stronger in the moments when Luke’s vampire side comes out but struggles in the more heartfelt and emotional moments of the film.
‘Red Snow’ has a good premise but unfortunately it falls short of its mark. There is plenty to like about the film but if you look at it overall, it sadly doesn’t hang together in the way it should. While there are sharp moments in the script, mostly in relation to Olivia, the tension doesn’t build in a way that draws you in so that when the climax arrives, you’re not as invested in the characters as you should be. The lack of peril is one of the film’s downfalls and it’s a real shame because there is plenty of potential here.
Cast: Dennice Cisneros, Nico Bellamy, Laura Kennon, Vernon Wells Director: Sean Nichols Lynch Writer: Sean Nichols Lynch Certificate: 18 Duration: 80 mins Released by: Jinga Films
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