Horror Movie Review: Subspecies (1991)

From director Ted Nicolaou and writers Charles Band, Jack Canson, and David Pabian, comes Subspecies, a vampire-focused horror film that kickstarted a lesser-known, but beloved franchise.

This first entry in the Subspecies series sees three college students, Mara (Irina Movila), Michelle (Laura Mae Tate), and Lillian (Michelle McBride) head off to the small town of Prejmer in Romania to study medieval castles and folklore. The latter, found in abundance and all related to the towering might of the nearby Castle Vladislas. Even though it has long been abandoned, the locals stay away because they believe a vampire still lurks within its crypt.

Of course they’re right, but Radu (Anders Hove) is asleep. That is until the three women disturb him. Now, he is hungry for blood and makes the trio his target. Who can save them? A local mysterious man named Stefan (Michael Watson) seems to know more then he letting on but joins the women in a fight against the ancient evil.

It’s a story that would satisfying most who crave a bit of low-budget Full Moon produced gothic vampire action with early 90s vibes, yet Subspecies goes a bit harder than expected. Revealing a deeper story that relates to both Radu and Stefan’s past and introduces the Bloodstone. Something that becomes more important in later entries.

There’s also some stop-motion demons too, which is where the film gets its title from.

In case you can’t tell, Subspecies is a very entertaining film, but not at first. In fact, at first, aside from looking quite lovely and gothic and sounding bombastic (the soundtrack is ace), it’s a really boring film. The story is slow, the characters are bland, the acting is so-so, and it has very little forward momentum.

Enter Radu and the excellent Anders Hove, who manages to make his vampire a unique figure.

Not just because of how unsettling he looks, but the way he moves, the way he speaks, and how he seems so threatening without really doing anything. In fact, thanks to some really simple filming techniques, clever shots, and unique perspectives, Radu is undeniably dangerous. As far as characters go, he is the sole reason to watch this film.

It’s his arrival that sees the film finally come to life and everyone seems to start to have a bit more fun with what they’re doing, especially when they get to ‘vamp’ it up. It’s still quite serious overall (something that would be rectified in sequels), but it’s a much more entertaining watch.

It’s a hidden gem of a series, and as an opening entry in a franchise, proves to be a memorable experience. Mainly because of how it looks and sounds, rather than story and characters, but you’ll be glad you gave it time.