A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) User Reviews

Be a Good Boy

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 4 January 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. This is my third "first feature" from a writer/director this week, but there endeth any similarities. Ana Lily Amirpour presents the first ever Iranian romantic vampire thriller that blends the styles of Spaghetti Westerns, graphic novels and 1950's rebel flicks, while making a social statement regarding Muslim women.

This festival favorite is an expanded version of Ms. Amirpour's 2011 short film of the same title, and the use of black and white, combined with cinematographer Lyle Vincent's extraordinary photography, delivers a beautifully stark dream-like atmosphere that lends itself well to the sparse dialogue approach.

Despite minimal conversation, we quickly recognize Saeed (Dominic Rains) as the ultra-arrogant drug dealer and bullying pimp, Arash (Arash Marandi) as the hard-working dutiful nice guy who sees himself as a would-be James Dean, Hossein (Marshall Manash) as the drug-addicted dad who burdens his son, and Atti (Mozhan Marno) as the aging, powerless prostitute with little hope. There is even the street boy (Milad Eghbali) who sees all and says little … and is the target of the film's most terrifying scene (and maybe one of the most terrifying bloodless scenes of any horror film).

What really stands out about this low-budget gem is the seamless and effective mixing of genres. In addition to the "vampire" moments, there are a couple of the most quietly erotic scenes that I can recall (including an ear-piercing), and even a quite humorous scene with an under-the-influence Arash mesmerized by a lamp post while wearing a Dracula costume and being observed by a real vampire.

The vampire is played perfectly by Sheila Vand, whose intoxicating eyes and subtle facial gestures convey all whether she is feeding her appetite, being gently seduced by Arash, or slowly coasting on her skateboard. Her only time to unleash pent-up emotions is the previously mentioned scene when she warns "Be a good boy". Otherwise, she is the lonesome vampire in search of connection who periodically weeds out the bad men – simultaneously improving society and empowering women.

It's an odd production as the characters speak Farsi, but filming took place outside Bakersfield, California in a locale that fits the story town's name, Bad City. Any influence of Iranian culture is only evident through interpretation and the excellent cast. The beautiful camera work is complemented by an outstanding and unusual soundtrack … a combination that proves Ms. Amirpour's eye and feel for storytelling. The minimal dialogue approach is successful thanks to the atmospheric style and the talents of the cast (many of whom will be familiar to American TV and film audiences). It's an exciting first feature and has many anxiously awaiting the next project from Ana Lily Amirpour.

Moody Iranian vampire film

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 22 March 2021]

Set in an oil industry ghost town-like city in Iran, this movie, directed by newcomer Ana Lily Amirpour - an American of Iranian descent - is highly reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch's early style. Interestingly, in an interview between her and legendary producer/director Roger Corman on the DVD extras, she claims she's not much of a fan of Jarmusch. But as virtually everyone who studies film has pointed at the stylistic similarity, she's taking it as a compliment.

Like Jarmusch's work, the movie is shot in atmospheric black and white - and it works beautifully. The dialogue is all Persian (Farsi) - even though the movie was shot in America, standing in for Iran - and is subsequently sub-titled. However, this does not work against the film (whose strength is its visuals) at all, as the dialogue is at all times minimal and slow, thus making the reading easy and unobstructive to the fascinating camera work.

So, it's a horror movie. It's principal character is a Persian woman vampire - who stalks the town, robed in a black chador, which is quite an unsettling shadow to behold standing 10 feet away from a potential victim late at night. The events exist within a kind of imagined Iranian underworld of pimps, hookers, drug dealers and street urchins. Our vampire watches this dark town, at times slowly riding a skateboard down the street! When she interacts with people, she is unblinking, mostly un-verbal, and seems to be at all times appraising their circumstances and their worth.

Aside from the beautiful blocking shots and photography, a high point of the film is its use of sound effects, music (which sometimes references Morricone-like spaghetti westerns) and an impressive soundtrack of mostly modern pop music.

Any criticism of this movie (though it's more praised than not) seems to center around it being "style over substance" and "too slowly paced". Well, it is moody, that's for sure - and maybe too slow for many of today's horror fans, that's true - but there's no arguing that its greatest strength is its style.

A decidedly unusual vampire movie

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 25 May 2015]

SPOILER: I was a bit disappointed to learn after seeing A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night that it was not an actual Iranian film. Turns out it is entirely American funded and made in California, it's just that it has an Iranian director, crew and cast, while it is set entirely in the Farsi language. When I say I was disappointed it was only that I truly wanted to believe that a film with such frank scenes of sexuality was being made in Iran. There has been something of a surge in Iranian films in recent years, most prominently in the case of the excellent drama A Separation (2011) and I thought it could be possible that this was another in this cycle. Alas, but no. Still, that doesn't deter from the fact that this is a pretty singular bit of work. I suppose the very fact that it is an Iranian film made entirely with American money is in itself pretty interesting.

Like another of 2014's best horror films Honeymoon, this one is also directed by a woman. Ana Lily Amirpour is of Iranian descent but born in the UK and brought up in America. I guess because of her heritage coupled with the tensions between America and Iran, many meanings seem to have been interpreted in this film. I think the truth is that this is a film with some minor political undercurrents but which takes its influences far more from cinema itself. Set in a bleak dusty place called Bad City, a settlement full of drug addicts, vice and despair, it follows a small group of characters one of which is a female vampire who roams the streets at night preying on the worst in her society.

It wouldn't be unfair to say that this is an exercise primarily on style over substance. This doesn't bother me personally, as I enjoy films that embrace cinematic style. It's typified by great black and white cinematography with lovely widescreen framing. It is also a mash-up of film genres with a hero and car which evokes 50's teenage rebel films, Ennio Morricone inspired music that references spaghetti westerns, moments that recall the odd tone of David Lynch movies, the visual look of Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish (1983) and the revisionist approach to the vampire film typified by Let the Right One In (2008). When you combine all of these disparate elements together in an American film shot entirely in Iranian, the result is a very odd film indeed. I guess you could call this a feminist vampire film, in that she only attacks predatory and immoral males, while she is quite far removed visually from the slinky female bloodsuckers from many a European vampire flick (although there certainly isn't anything wrong with them!). It also plays on the idea that the Hijab veil looks similar to the garb of those traditional vampires. It is also distinctive for having bizarre details such as a prominent cat, a skateboarding vampire and a soundtrack that mixes Persian music with new wave influenced western pop. The latter being a particular favourite of our vampire lady.

My feeling on the film overall is a little mixed. I really appreciated the visual style and the original aspects inherent in an Iranian vampire film, while the mix of genres did create something new. On the other hand, it begins very well and does meander in the second half somewhat. It would probably have worked better as a ninety minute movie given the slightness of the material itself. Still, it has to be praised for going somewhere new and it shows there is always a different way to approach old ideas.

Dead Girl Walking

[Shadowplayed · 8/10 · 28 March 2015]

This was one of the most anticipated art-house horror films. The fact it's done in Persian with Iranian director and crew absolutely peeks every filmophile's interest. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding it sometimes works against anticipated releases like this, but the wait was worth it.

A Girl Walks Home...was heavily influenced by Jim Jarmusch's aesthetic, like a love letter to this director. A vampire western with a touch of romance - something I haven't seen before. Let's see if this unusual combination worked... The last few years were great for vampire subgenre, reviving it with a few films that have became instant favorites and, in my opinion, deserve their place in film history.

Let The Right One In and Only Lovers Left Alive are notable examples, and now A Girl has joined them, forming fantastic trinity of style, ideas, cinematography and unparalleled atmosphere. Modern vampire subgenre works best in authentic urban surroundings, with as little action sequences as possible, focusing on loneliness, inner turmoil of the characters, existentialism and sometimes unlikely companionship between humans and vamps. A Girl has it all, adding extra cultural layer to these key ingredients.

Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive have set vampire tale in Western and Eastern world both, and A Girl... paints excerpts of Iranian life. (Although filmed in California) the rest is authentic. This black&white picture offers style and atmosphere, quiet, meditative and rarely violent, it's filled with music and shadows. There is a running thread of social commentary although the town and premise are fictional.

Mysterious titular 'Girl' in fictional town named 'Bad Town' stalks the residents quietly, watching them go about their routines, helping the weak and good, punishing the crooked and corrupt. We know absolutely nothing about The Girl, but there is a pattern...unlike women in Iran, she has a certain, albeit supernatural power, and she uses it to punish men who have bullied others and wallowed in vices. Even if I'm only reading into this, I thought this was liberating in the context of the culture that's old and rich but traditionally repressive against women.

However, The Girl is not some feminist vigilante fixing to destroy the mankind, just like Eli in Let the Right One In, she protects those in need. Unlike Eli, The Girl does not look for symbiotic relationship with disposable humans, the companionship she forms with Arash is of different nature. Big shout out to Masuka the cat, the talent and screen presence is fantastic and adorable. One lovely and immersing cinematic experience, bravo, Miss Amirpour!

A Calm, Alluring & Subversive Art-house Endeavour And A Thoughtful Meditation On Loneliness

[CinemaClown · 22 August 2016]

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.

Interesting.

[SameirAli · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

Interesting, a vampire movie set in Middle East, though it was shot in America. The film is an art house piece, shot in black and white, gives a really good art feeling. An appreciable experimental film.

I like the unusual premise and setting

[jfgibson73 · 7/10 · 5 January 2023]

This was a very stylish movie that also managed to be pretty visceral, which is a special combination that doesn't come along often. It's a horror movie shot in black and white with great visuals and restrained performances, but it doesn't feel artsy or tedious. It finds time to let loose and have some wild sequences as well as the contemplative ones. I liked the characters, especially the central female. She actually does walk around alone at night, but she's not in any danger, which makes it pretty cool. It would say it's worth a watch, and probably even deserves a rewatch at some point. Recommended.

Humorous, tragic, romantic, and thoughtful, Ana Lily Amirpour feature debut provides an unforgettable experience that defies labels

[IonicBreezeMachine · 8/10 · 20 October 2022]

Set in Bad City, Iran, a young man named Arash (Arash Marandi) struggles with working menial jobs and setbacks coming from his drug addicted father Hossein (Marshall Manesh) whose addictions have put the both of them in debt to drug dealer Saeed (Dominic Rains). Eventually Arash has a chance encounter with a girl (Shella Vand) and strikes up a romance with her, unaware she is a vampire who predates on the bad men within the city.

A Gril Walks Home Alone at Night is the feature debut of writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour. The film is an expansion on Amirpour's 2011 short film of the same name partially funded through Kickstarter with the film's goal of $55,000 exceeded with $56,903 raised from 290 backers. The movie became a hit with critics with many praising the style, direction, and performances of the film with many appreciating the thematic nods to vampire lore, spaghetti westerns, and horror. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a movie that requires patience of its audience, but those who are willing to give it will find a unique and stylish character-based genre blender whose vision overcomes its budget.

Amirpour's approach to the material is unique in that she takes a vampire, known only as The Girl, and frames her as a lone stranger who comes into town and while she does feed on those unfortunate enough to cross her path, she is not without morality as she only unleashes her appetites upon those she sees as deserving of them. The movie's usage of the fictional Iranian city of Bad City helps to give this film a unique identity especially since it's a very different portrayal of Iran than we're typically used to and it's made all the more impressive that it was filmed in Taft, California (primarily due to some of the content not meeting Iran's "standards"). Arash Marandi is really good playing Arash as he has this laid back charm with a slight rebellious streak you may remember from a younger Marlon Brandon or James Dean, Shella Vand is also quite good as The Girl and makes a solid anti-hero/romantic lead with Vand and Marandi having some great chemistry together. While I personally like this movie, I understand it won't be to everyone's tastes as this is a movie that does go in for long unbroken shots and a number of more deliberately paced scenes, but assuming you're willing to give the movie some leeway on that front it makes for a rewarding experience.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is visually and thematically impressive and made even more so by its frugal budget. With some solid leads, a unique take on vampires, and some strong visual language from Ana Lily Amirpour, I found a lot to like about this film.

An art-house bore

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 2 December 2015]

A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT interested me because I'd never seen an Iranian film before, let alone an Iranian horror film. I've since discovered that this was actually filmed in California, albeit in Persian language. It's sadly an extremely pretentious, art-house style movie that tells an overly-familiar storyline in an overly-familiar way. The whole 'Iranian' thing is made up in order to draw attention from the critics, otherwise this would have been instantly lost amid a welter of similar imagination-free Z-grade fare.

It's the sort of film that riffs and pays homage to lots of old film genres, with westerns being the most predominant. The crisp black and white photography aside, this is an art-house bore for the most part; the characters might dress in different attire and use a different language, but they're just the same as in a similar Hollywood film. The whole film has a Western look and feel to it so you might as well just be watching a Hollywood movie. A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT has no real character or bite; it merely consists of long, drawn out moody scenes and the occasional bit of blood-letting. I hated it.

Beautifully shot throw back to old film noir days

[jjgurd · 9/10 · 31 August 2015]

I stumbled upon this by accident and am delighted i wasn't put off by the slow start and gave this film the attention it deserved.

It's a slow placed, stylistic and beautifully shot film about personal redemption and moral lines. There is minimal dialogue but that works well for film noir. The focus is on atmosphere and a stunning soundtrack to bring the emotions of the characters to life, rather than words.

If you like fast paced action horrors, this won't be for you. If you want something more subtle without graphic gore but subtle emotional horror played out through flawed, though slightly clichéd, characters, then this film is wonderful.

I hope you enjoy it.

Slow and moody

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 6/10 · 16 February 2017]

"A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" is an interesting movie. More a curiosity at moments than a movie with a body and a plot, it ends being saved by its atmosphere and the cinematography, even if some of its moments fall into the silly.

A vampire is roaming an Iranian town. She goes around killing 'bad' men, talking with people and just being very, very shy. She becomes friends with a young guy. Will she end up killing him?

Who are we kidding. The movie doesn't really care about vampires or anything. On the other hand, it has a very nice atmosphere and some of its aspects, like the music or the bleak black and white, give it an atmosphere close to a Western. The camera-work is good, and the direction acceptable enough. There are a couple of scenes really good. The acting, however, is a little bit stilted and, in a couple of occasions, just too silly. The vampire's movements are hilarious (not sure if on purpose).

"A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" ends being a movie that will be enjoyed more by people who like their movies about atmosphere and 'messages'. Just forget about plot and pace.

Striking visuals, but nothing more

[estebangonzalez10 · 5/10 · 30 March 2015]

"Be a good boy."

Director Ana Lily Amirpour's feature debut has been labelled as the first ever Iranian vampire western, and it does take a completely different approach from most generic films. It takes place in an Iranian town called Bad City (but was actually filmed in California) where a young James Dean look-alike, Arash (Arash Marandi) is desperately trying to get his father (Mozhan Marno) out of drugs. It doesn't help that the local drug dealer and pimp, Saeed (Dominic Rains) takes advantage of his father's addiction and is always getting him into debt. Saeed decides that it's time for him to take Arash's car as payment for his father's debt. Saeed also keeps close track of his pump duties and is very harsh and demanding towards his girl, Atti (Mozhan Marno) who he is constantly tormenting. But Saeed isn't the only one walking through the streets of Bad City, there is also a mysterious woman simply known as the girl (Sheila Vand) who happens to be a vampire that only feeds on people who terrorize others. In a scene early on in the movie she warns a young street kid (played by Milad Eghbali) to be a good boy and from then on she uses his skateboard to move along the streets in a hipster kind of way.

The film isn't very heavy on dialogue and there isn't much of a narrative structure other than the plot I just tried to summarize. The film is mostly concerned in building an eerie atmosphere and it resembles some of the early expressionistic films such as Nosferatu. The black and white cinematography by Lyle Vincent is gorgeous and stylish playing with lights and shadows. There are several dream sequences that sort of resemble Lynch's style. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night has been praised by critics around the globe, but I felt the pacing drag during most of the film. Amirpour relies on the images to tell the story rather than on her written script and she sets the tone of the film through the use of her camera. Without the use of dialogue we get a sense of how these characters feel and the loneliness they experience. There is a very subtle romance that takes place between Vand and Marandi's character that is at the heart of the story. Overall, despite the beautiful cinematography I simply couldn't get engaged with the story and didn't feel the film was doing anything new with the genre other than including a couple of satisfactory scenes. Perhaps having recently seen the other hipster vampire film, Only Lovers Left Alive, left me yearning for a similar experience to that one.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night not only relied on the visuals to set the atmosphere of the film, the soundtrack is also used quite frequently with a couple of songs from White Lies and Federale. It succeeds at setting the right tone and mood, but it fails to tell an emotionally engaging story. If you are a fan of atmospheric films you will really love this film, but if you are like me and enjoy some narrative structure to your films, you might not have such a great time. There are a couple scenes that worked well, such as when the girl encounters Arash starring at a light post dressed as Dracula, but there are also several dreamy sequences that don't go anywhere. The film is gorgeous to look at, but unfortunately for me the story didn't transmit anything to me.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

An amazing, outstanding piece of cinema

[jhmbeattie · 9/10 · 16 February 2021]

Imagine Jarmusch's Mystery Train as a vampire movie. A Lynchian-styled Eastern Western. The most personality-filled good boy of a cat. Iranian drug dealers with cool tattoos.

Frankly, if those things aren't doing it for you, best skip this one. You are not the target market. If these things chime, you won't want to look away from the screen.

An outstandingly good movie!

Minimalist, effective, Sisyphean with neato sound.

[mehobulls · 8/10 · 17 December 2020]

A slow-paced hipster-era vampire story that is so stylish it hurts. "A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night" combines old-fashioned storytelling with contemporary setting and aesthetics, and the result is a quite unique and atmospheric film. It's not faultless but it feels very fresh and special.

Born to be camp!

[slabihoud · 9/10 · 2 November 2014]

How to write about a film like this without giving away too many details? Almost impossible. The film is really fun to watch and it is good not to know too much of the plot because many twists and turns function best if you do not expect them. Although this does not mean you cannot enjoy it again, once you saw it. The mood of the film shifts between serious and persiflage and in that it is very well balanced because it never tips in either the one or the other way too much. Although it makes fun of the genre(s) it is scary too in the right moments. It keeps you guessing and although the film uses many situations from different genres that you know, the way they are put together and set against each other creates a very entertaining film. To describe the mood, it reminds me of Aki Kaurismäki's movies, especially the use of music and looks and the dialog. Did this review tell you what to expect? Certainly not! Go and see for yourself!!! :-)

A Pretentious Snorefest

[SquigglyCrunch · 1/10 · 14 October 2016]

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is about...a vampire? I think that's about it, really.

I actually haven't the slightest idea what this movie was supposed to be about. it doesn't have any real clear direction or anything. It just kind of goes along without any significance.

I don't have anything good to say about this movie. Sometimes the pacing is alright, but there's no reason to praise a movie for simply not being boring. After all, isn't that the point?

The movie is incredibly boring. As I watched it I slowly felt myself slipping farther and farther away from consciousness until eventually it happened...twice. Yeah, I actually dozed off twice during this movie. During one of the times when I dozed I woke up to find that the shot hadn't changed. Which brings me to my next point.

This movie goes for style over substance. The only thing is that there's almost no style and zero substance. The director's idea of style is throwing on a black and white filter, and that's literally it. Due to the lack of dialogue and long shots this movie makes itself out to be somewhat important, like its trying to make some kind of statement. But it doesn't. Or at least it fails to intrigue the audience enough to make them want to actually think about what the movie might be trying to say.

Due to the lack of much dialogue, the movie relies heavily on the actor's ability to convey emotion through their facial expressions, but all I saw were dead-pan faces and a couple basic emotions. Nothing complicated, nothing hard. No real skill there.

Something I loved with complete and utter sarcasm were the lengthy shots. Long shots are usually a sign of a skilled filmmaker, or a way for the filmmaker to showcase how talented they and their actors are. This movie is full of those, only there's literally nothing happening whenever these long shots happen. Long shot of people sitting in car, not doing anything. Long shot of people staring at each other, but otherwise not moving or saying anything. Long shots of someone driving. Where's the skill in that? "See, he's such a good actor because he knows how to look like he's driving without crashing. Man, what talent!" Shut up, you pretentious piece of trash. This isn't skill, this is an angsty teenage filmmaker who doesn't know what an art house movie is. I wonder if he even knew that he was recording, if he just left the set to get a coffee and forgot to turn off the camera as well as tell the actors that they were done, thus creating these entirely meaningless long shots.

To top it all off, this movie advertises itself as a horror, yet it fails to be even remotely scary. I've heard people talking about one scene involving a 'good boy' and saying how scary it was, but there was nothing even unsettling about that particular scene. It was just a vampire giving a little boy a pep talk. What's the big deal? That scene doesn't even have any relevance to anything. It didn't need to happen, and in fact was quite forced. It's a horror simply because there's a vampire in it.

Overall A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is absolute trash. It's a pretentious snorefest, as I like to call it. It acts like it has meaning without any, and it's just boring. I paused the movie and grabbed my phone with the specific intention of setting an alarm to take a nap at some point during this 100 minute runtime. Somehow I made it through, but it was an effort that wasn't worth it. Don't watch this movie. Spare yourself the trouble. Seriously. And don't you dare tell me it's too deep for me to understand, because there's nothing to understand and you know that. In the end I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, ever.

Iran meets Fellini meets spaghetti western meets vampires

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 31 May 2015]

"A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" is a movie that you thought couldn't exist: an Iran-set movie that mixes the spaghetti western genre with vampires. In fact, in the opening scene the woman makes a face reminiscent of some a person in a Fellini movie. Overall, Ana Lily Amirpour's movie depicts a presumed seedier side of Iran, the sort of image that you get of a polity in a Quentin Tarantino movie (without the pop culture references and over-the-top violence). It's set in a fictional industrial town where the residents have no discernible future prospects. The vampire reminds me of the vampire in the Swedish movie "Let the Right One In": she relates to people like any ordinary human would, and she just happens to be a blood-drinking creature of the night. Even more eye-opening is the cast: Sheila Vand co-starred in "Argo" and appeared with Robin Williams on Broadway; Marshall Manesh co-starred in "The Big Lebowski"; and Mozhan Marnò co-starred in "Charlie Wilson's War".

I understand that Amirpour's next movie is basically "El topo" meets "Dirty Dancing", starring Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey and Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo on "Game of Thrones"). If this movie is any indication, her upcoming movie should be a neat one. In the meantime, I recommend "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night". Really fun.

submersive

[donthemovieguy · 27 January 2022]

The stark black and white presentation gives a dream like feel to this film. Although I wouldn't label this a "western" like it is touted in all the PR, it does have a desert thing going on, being in Iran and all.

I've never seen a vampire tale told from this perspective. This is an art house movie, so not for everyone, but I imagine even people not into art house would be into this if they gave it a chance. It's not "scary" per se, but very watchable. Surprisingly, what sold me on watching this was seeing a teenager on my block who had a skateboard with the vampire girl from this movie on it.

Beyond boring

[susana-c-fernandes · 3/10 · 13 August 2016]

A young man tries to help his drug addict father and make a decent living in a deserted city where crime seems to be the main activity. A somewhat vigilante vampire comes to play and falls in love with him.

I tried hard to appreciate this movie. Visually it is interesting and dream-like, but it's an almost 2 hour wait for something to happen, that never does.

I was hoping the ending would bring some light into the giant metaphor I thought this was, but nope. If there's a metaphor in there, I missed it.

I'd give this slow, bland and boring film 3/10. A movie with such a poor plot can never be good, only a visual exercise. And this looks just like something a cinema student would present his class mates with.

Personally I'd stay away from it, but if your into Indy, slow, weird movies that go nowhere, you'll probably love it.

Excellent Film

[ari_gg · 10/10 · 26 March 2015]

This film was exciting, thrilling, and charming. One of my favorites of all time. I love horror movies and thrillers, and hate romantic movies. This film sort of put the two genres together in a perfect ratio. The romance was not over the top (very subtle actually) and the movie had some scary vampire scenes but was not too cheesy. I wish there were more like this one. I also loved that it took place in Iran. The Iranian girl with the cape added mystery and the fact that she listens to new wave punk was so brilliant for both a younger and older crowd of viewers. The soundtrack was amazing regardless of the film. If you liked this film then "let the right one in" (2008) might be another favorite. Cheers!

Satifiying at best.

[bbickley13-921-58664 · 7/10 · 25 November 2014]

An Iranian horror story.

It's about a vampire's day to day activities living in Iran. Reminds me of the Jim" Jarmusch vampire tale, Only Lovers Left Alive, which came out earlier this year, but this vamp had no real purpose that I could see.

I like that it was a different setting of Iran, that was very really cool. I'm sure the filmmakers were playing off the fact that the vampire's veil is being worn as if though it was Dracula's cape.

The movie has a new unique setting but it plays homage to the low budget beatnik films that would be a part of the Something Weird collection, or at least it felt that way.

Overall the movie had a cool concept that could have been flushed out better by the filmmakers.

Brooding and Arthouse Vampire Film

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 8/10 · 17 September 2021]

I had heard some things about this film, but didn't know too much about it coming in originally. I decided to give it a viewing as part of my 31 Nights of Halloween challenge. I'm now giving it a second viewing as part of The Podcast Under the Stairs' Summer Series. The official synopsis is 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.

This film was intriguing in that all I knew coming in was that it was filmed in black and white. It is an artsy film, which I didn't really have any problems with as I tend to enjoy these types more. This movie doesn't have a lot in the way of story. It is character driven and all are intertwined with each other.

I'll start with Arash (Arash Marandi) who is the first character we see. We learn a lot from this opening sequence with him. He finds a cat and walks it back to his car. On his way he is accosted by a young boy who is asking for money. We learn that the nice car Arash has is due to him working a lot and saved up for it. There are problems at home though.

His father is Hossein (Marshall Manesh) who is a junkie. I kind of feel bad for him as it seems he has fallen into this lifestyle after his wife passed away. He owes money to Saeed (Dominic Rains) who is a drug dealer and a pimp. He tells Arash he owes him the money that Hossein has taken. He takes his car as collateral, which angers Arash and rightly so.

Arash works for some rich people and we meet their daughter, Shaydah (Rome Shadanloo). We get that she is a partier and doesn't have to worry about anything. Arash notices she leaves out some expensive earrings and sees a way to save his father and get his car back.

A prostitute that works for Saeed is Atti (Mozhan Marnò). She is behind on what she owes and he doesn't give her any of her cut due to this. He does have her perform fellatio on him. He is spooked when he sees a young woman staring at his vehicle. The Girl is Shelia Vand. We meet her in a surreal scene where she dances in her room to a record. She then puts on dark lipstick and a hood with a cape.

As I alluded to earlier, we start to see these characters interact and how their lives change. The Girl is a vampire and she kills Saeed. She does this as Arash was going there to pay him off. He decides to take the drugs, his car keys and the money. He quits his job and takes over as dealer for the area. He tries to get his father clean during this. We see at a party that he is interested in Shaydah, but he really connects with The Girl. All of these interactions put a lot of events into motion that will change them all, but not necessarily for the better.

Now this film isn't for everyone. It is a slow burn and not a lot happens. What pulled me in though was the plight of everyone. There is a line about how only idiots and the rich think that their lives can change. This hit home for me and it is kind of scary. There are a lot of allegories for these that I saw as well. Saeed thinks he is a predator as he has tigers on everything. He discovers what a real predator is though with The Girl.

The setting of the film was something that was pretty interesting as well. Much like the film Near Dark, it takes place in a desert where they have oil wells pumping. Being this is a vampire film, it is an interesting parallel. Going from that, we get a scene where one stops working. This city is drying up in not only oil, but also in blood. I did find the recurring images of a dried up river bed with a bunch of bodies in it. I get where the bodies come from, but the lack of realism there bothered me. What I like is that this is filmed in the United States, but they did a great job mimicking what the Middle East would look like here.

Then the last part of the story I want to touch on is that Arash is hard working. The boy wants a hand-out and he gives the advice of how many days he worked to buy the car that he is. Saeed just takes it from it, showing me a bit here that nice guys don't always win. Once he is killed, Arash decides to go the easier route of taking over for Saeed. We see though that even with the money and selling drugs, Arash's life isn't that much easier. Some things happen though to make him fully free, or at least it seems. This area isn't conductive though to living a good life for his plight.

What is more important to talk about would be the acting. I really liked Vand in this film. She doesn't have a lot of lines, but we see that everything she is doing is wearing on her. This is interesting for being a vampire film and her being the creature. I liked bringing an almost human element to it. Marandi was probably my favorite character though since I could connect with him. I have trouble at work where I work too hard and the employer takes advantage of me. It was nice to see his hard work payoff, but he is also a cautionary tale of taking the easy road doesn't mean it is easy. Manesh I felt bad for as he turned to drugs to overcome his grief and he is in that never ending wheel. I also felt bad for Marnò. She so badly wants out, but there's not a lot she can do. Rains and Shadanloo are bad people, but I like the role they play for the film and the building of the story. The rest of the cast round out well for what they needed.

As for effects, there aren't a lot of them. Much of the attacks are off-screen or blocked by The Girl's cape. I didn't mind this though, as it was done more practically. I did like the effect of her changing into a vampire, where her fangs emerge. It happens so quickly and was effective. What is good though is the cinematography. I've already stated that this is filmed in black and white, which adds something to film. It is shot beautifully. Something else that was very well done was the score of the film. There are times when it gives the scene such a surreal feel. It is interesting though that with how bleak life in this area is. It ramps it up and it involves the use of drugs or The Girl is there. Either way, I thought this was a good aspect to the film.

Now with that said, I enjoyed this film. It had a feel of The Transfiguration which is another vampire film that I enjoyed quite a bit. This film doesn't have the most complex story, but we do get some great acting where the characters have complex back-stories. Seeing how they interact in this rough place they call home was good. The film is a slow-burn so if that is a problem, avoid this one. Visually the film is really good and it adds to it being shot without color. There are some really good subtexts that I enjoyed as well. The score was really good as was the acting. This film was shot in the United States, but the spoken language is Persian. I watched it with subtitles. If you are onboard with all of these things, I'd say to give it a viewing. I thought this was a good film.

The cat

[claudiaisabelmateus · 6/10 · 3 January 2020]

The cat was the most interesting aspect of the movie.

Mesmerizing - like the gaze of a vampire

[gsh999 · 9/10 · 23 April 2015]

I am a horror fan since the days of black and white creature features. I have always loved a good, offbeat vampire movie such as the original Let The Right One In. I rate A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night just below that movie -- but still an outstanding horror movie -- in a genre in which excellence is so rare.

The actors are great. You hate the pimp / drug dealer; you like the young man; you sympathize with and simultaneously hate the pathetic, old, drug-addicted pervert. The vampire - you love her. She is an exotic beauty underneath a black cloak. I'm guessing the director chose this actress for her eyes -- beautiful and hypnotic.

The setting - Bad Town - is the type of bleak, lawless industrial town where a vampire could prey for a long time before moving on.

I would have enjoyed this movie in color, but black and white is fitting for its dark atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Excellent pictures, mediocre story, poor accents

[mehrdadzaredoost · 6/10 · 8 November 2019]

The pictures, athmosphere and song tracks are really interesting to me. The athmosphere reminds me of sin city and down by law. But the story is very simple and of average elegance. The movie isn't scary at all. Another negetive point about the movie is accents of actors, they have poor and rediculous persian accents which ruin the emotional dialogues for Persian audience.