MOVIE REVIEW: ‘How Far Does The Dark Go?’ Is A Steamy Vampire Romance With No Fangs

Vampire romances are a dime a dozen, but writer/director Bears Rebecca Fonte aims to make an indelible mark in the genre with How Far Does The Dark Go?, a steamy thriller that unfortunately failed to set itself apart from the overcrowded pack with a story that manages to be both unique, but also a little too familiar for its own good.

How Far Does The Dark Go? centers on a morphine addicted nurse named Grace (Anna Hindman) who gets kidnapped by a vampire named Evienne (Chloe Carroll). Evienne has preyed on the city for decades, leaving countless victims in her wake. However, with her son Henry (Robert Picardo) dying of cancer, she has nowhere left to turn in order to save his life, making Grace her last hope instead of being her next juicy meal. Making matters more complicated is the return of her bitter former lover Tempest (Sam Rothermel) who is hellbent on vengeance and the arrival of a vampire slayer named Dayanara (Telita Perry) who is in hot pursuit of Evienne. 

On paper, the story here is intriguing to say the least, brimming with considerable potential to deliver a fun, blood-soaked story of love, lust, loss and revenge. Unfortunately, this is a genre film that didn’t lean into its strengths leaving far too much to be desired. First and foremost, the performances here range from mediocre to monotone for the most part. Carroll certainly looks the part of a vampire, but never fully imbues the character with much energy to chew on. Hindman isn’t either, delivering an apathetic performance and failing to capitalize on the emotional potential of her character’s tumultuous journey. The most notable disappointment is the duo’s lack of chemistry throughout. After a rushed inciting incident and first encounter, their performances never coalesce and gel with one another, both clearly on different pages. As a result, their slow-burning romance never sizzles, failing to give audiences a couple to become emotionally invested in.

Also hindering the film tremendously are the creative choices in post production. From the jump, there is an incessant use of needle drops used to propel the story and ramp up the pacing, but not only do these choices of music become a point of irritation with their abundance, but they often clash with the scenes they’re placed in or after. When used sparingly and effectively, needle drops can enhance a scene tremendously, but there never felt like there was artistic intention behind these choices hete, which is problematic to say the least. An original score, coupled with more thoughtful music choices, could’ve made a substantial difference in enhancing the story and intended effects. The film also utilizes flashback sequences throughout in order to flesh out Evienne and Tempest’s romantic history to inform the present day circumstances. These are actually some of the most effective scenes in the film, not only fleshing out their respective characters but also providing some of the film’s best looking scenes. However, as good as these sequences are, they’re hampered by a creative choice to add grating vocal effects to the dialogue to make it overtly clear to the viewer that they are watching a flashback sequence. The intention is easy to understand, but the execution was poorly thought out and incredibly grating.

The film also feels strangely overstuffed for the simple story it’s trying to tell. While the film mostly focuses on Evienne and Grace’s Stockholm Syndrome induced budding romance, the secondary storylines involving Tempest and Dayanara are not only given very little time to develop or gain traction, but the vampire slayer addition ultimately feels unnecessary for the story as a whole. Tempest’s quest for revenge and blood clashing with Evienne and Grace’s love story provided more than enough conflict and tension to sustain the film so the addition of another outside threat feels superfluous here. In fact, Dayanara’s character feels like she belongs in an entirely different, far more cheesy action film, her storyline clashing with the film’s tone and general atmosphere weakened both. 

Fortunately, the film doesn’t leave the viewer’s plate entirely empty. The central conflict of Henry losing his life to cancer as Evienne tries to save him provides the beating heart of the story. Picardo delivers the film’s best performance by a landslide, effortlessly showcasing Henry’s simultaneous love and disdain for his mother and her addictive bloodlust. The scenes between him and Grace are some of the film’s very best, slowly peeling back the curtain of a man who has seen too much and simply doesn’t want to live for eternity despite his loving mother’s wishes. If the film focused more on him and his relationship with both Grace and Evienne instead of its other chunkier storylines, this could’ve been a far more emotionally potent story. 

It also needs to be said with great enthusiasm that for a film clearly made on a modest budget, the makeup, gore and overall production value are quite impressive. Though it’s very evident that Fonte was heavily inspired by True Blood and other vampire fare, the effects work is mostly top-notch and inspired. Of course, there are moments where the budget restrictions can be seen clear as day, but these moments shouldn’t take the audience out of the story. 

Rating: 1/5 Stars

How Far Does The Dark Go? may satisfy some hungry fans of the vampire romance genre, but its story ultimately never leads anywhere satisfying or emotionally engaging. With mostly limp, sleepy performances, subpar writing, and some bizarre creative choices, this is a vampire film that unfortunately only manages to nibble when it should really bite.