The movie

The United States is pure political and economic chaos ever since a terrible vampire epidemic broke out. It’s amidst this hell on earth that teenage Martin meets a rogue vampire hunter; assisted by him and other people that cross his path, he makes his way towards Canada, a country still spared by the epidemic. If only he can escape the blood-suckers and religious zealots in the meantime... In his second film, Mickle revisits the myth of the vampire far from any glamor. Technically stunning, Stake Land has superb photography and masterful narration. The director efficiently uses film codes and conventions, shifting between horror, drama, and road movie with ease, and without hesitating to veer towards the gory when needed. As the title suggests, we are indeed in the land of stakes: ones that you stick in monsters’ chests!