A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

2014 "The first Iranian Vampire Western"
6.9| 1h41m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 21 November 2014 Released
Producted By: SpectreVision
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.kinolorber.com/film/view/id/1833
Info

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.

Genre

Horror, Romance

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Director

Ana Lily Amirpour

Production Companies

SpectreVision

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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Audience Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Blucher One of the worst movies I've ever seen
Bereamic Awesome Movie
Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
ranentrudgett Another example of a poor attempt at art by making the film black and white, the film has no clear direction and is confused in what it wants to be, the western theme and music sticks out like a sore thumb and removes you from the dark/mysterious theme the movie is trying to go for.Acting is subpar,cinematography is decent, all in all this film is a mess with no real merit, I am not sure why this is labeled as horror besides the fact that the girl is a vampire, the film is trying to be different yet the result comes out ultimately pretentious.
Tweekums Arash is a young Iranian man and his classic car is his pride and joy; he doesn't own it because he is from a wealthy background but because he worked years to earn the money. Then one day a drug dealer takes it to pay the debts of Arash's junkie father. Meanwhile an unnamed young woman, known only as 'The Girl' is walking through the city streets alone at night… she is in no danger though; she is the danger! She is a vampire and she is sealing with those who harmed women. One of her victims just happens to be the man who took Arash's car; she kills him and leaves just before Arash turns up hoping to buy it back with a pair of stolen earings. He finds the man dead so takes the car keys along with a case full of drugs. Shortly afterwards he meets The Girl while walking home from a party. They spend some time together but whether she proves to be a danger to him remains to be seen.This was billed as 'the first Iranian vampire western' but while it is set in a fictional Iranian city and the characters speak Farsi it was made in California… not that that is a problem. One would think that a film featuring a vampire would be a horror film but too my mind it was far too surreal for that… there were a few moments of horror but it wasn't particularly fear inducing. The use of black and white along with Arash's classic car and retro dress and hair-style gave the film a fifties look and the way the camera lingers while nothing really happens provided a beguiling weirdness that I rather enjoyed. Sheila Vand was captivating as 'The Girl' and Arash Marandi was solid enough as Arash. Derector Ana Lily Amirpour did a fine job keeping things interesting even when nothing was happening. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody looking for something different; it won't be for everybody but I enjoyed it.
Scarecrow-88 I realize there will be those that gripe that this begs for legitimacy by being filmed in B&W and using catchy music with faces aching "sigh" as they move through their Iranian urban existence alone and without. If this is a reason to be dismissive so be it, but I'll take something so beautifully photographed, small in the scope of a certain sect of characters within a specific environment but visually written in painterly strokes to get the most out of the setting. A heroin junkie father who has left his son struggling to make ends meet, losing a nice ride he saved so long for to a sleazy drug dealing creep looking for payment for the debt of the smack provided to pops. A lovely vampire in a chador with penetrating eyes and enigmatic presence eyes human meals considered worth feeding from, leaving them for dead because they seemingly represent the scum of society, finds her possible soulmate in the heroin junkie's son. The street lights gleaming piercing white, haloing the characters as they haunt the empty sidewalks and roads at night. The vampire becoming smitten with this misbegotten young man absent a parent with his mother gone and the father surrendered to his addiction. Catching the guy as he was seduced by a popular girl of privilege during a costume party to take an X pill, which sends him into an exhilarating trip, under the influence with his inhibitions lowered, dressed in cape as Dracula, the vampire finds him alluring. Great scene has her pondering whether or not to bite him as his throat was available, this realization that he could be her *one* stilling the urge for another drink. The foreground/background composition between the vampire, in chador, and the heroin junkie father, who she is following across the street; this has the aesthetic of a true talent. The kid with the skateboard running across the vampire with her asking if he's been a good boy, threatening him is an instance where we see the predator surveying her potential prey. The seductive face of the rich beauty who is forbidden to the junkie's son, looking like a siren calling to him as he lingers in his drug-influenced daze, only for an attempted kiss to be denied. He is not in her social standing, no matter if he's dreamy and attractive to her. The film is a romance wrapped in the art house disguise of a vampire film.
CinemaClown A calm, alluring & subversive art-house endeavour from Ana Lily Amirpour in what's her feature film debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is as impressive as it is unconventional, as beautiful as it is brooding, and as hypnotic as it is haunting. Touted as "the first Iranian vampire western", it is a fascinating blend of horror, romance & western that's original, meditative & masterly composed.Set in an Iranian ghost-town that reeks of death & loneliness, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night tells the story of a lonesome vampire that wanders the desolate streets at night; stalking, killing or protecting whoever she deems fit. But things change when she comes across a guy who's just as lost as her and, in an effort to connect with each other, something beautiful is born between the two.Written & directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is crafted with stunning restraint & presents the up-n-coming filmmaker in absolute control of her craft. Lily Amirpour's direction exudes both patience & confidence as she spins her own take on the vampire folklore with this twisted fable of two lost souls without giving in to genre conventions, and isn't afraid to employ silence as a powerful & effective tool.For a debut feature, it is an incredibly sophisticated effort, and Lily Amirpour not only exhibits her firm grip on storytelling elements but all filmmaking aspects. The story takes place in Bad City, an Iranian town in the middle of nowhere, and the deserted locations, vacant streets & fraction of denizens add to its graveyard like aura while the resurfacing shots of drilling pumps perpetually sucking oil out of Earth serves as an interesting companion to its vampiric themes.The script is only concerned with the doings of two characters, Arash & The Girl, and the rest of the town's inhabitants are discerned by simple tags assigned to them. What's also admirable is that it is never in a hurry to switch to the next moment and actually embraces the silence & emptiness that permeates every frame, which in turn contributes to its somber tone & funereal gloominess. But there are also times when its extended takes bring the narrative to a standstill.Shot in crisp black-n-white, Cinematography brings an elusive quality to the whole picture with its static camera-work, skillful use of slow-mo technique & beautifully composed shots, and further intensifies its otherworldly setting. Another one of my favourite aspects is its mesmerising soundtrack, comprising of sensibly chosen tracks that are evocative and always in check with the emotional requirements of any given moment.Coming to the performances, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night features a committed cast in Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Mozhan Marnò, Marshall Manesh, Dominic Rains & Rome Shadanloo, and each one of them get sufficient time on screen. Vand's subtle expressions & unwavering gaze turns her silent showcase into the most impressive performance in the movie and she is brilliantly supported by the rest of the cast, each playing their part with utmost conviction.On an overall scale, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a somber effort that's elegiac in its approach, dreamlike in its presentation, and subdued in its addressing of topical themes. Crafted with care & intimacy, it promises an etherial, absorbing & aesthetically fulfilling experience to those willing to embrace its slow-burn narrative and marks a promising start to Ana Lily Amirpour's filmmaking career. Although its fangs aren't as deeply embedded as I would have liked, this thoughtful meditation on loneliness is still a delightful discovery that's worthy of a broader audience.