Drained

I really enjoyed this modern take on the vampire genre. None of the stodgy-old-Count- Dracula-in-a-far-off-castle tropes. The "young" vampiress is just trying to keep going - yep needs blood - finds her victims in a nightclub - they get hooked on her, all set against a London landscape. The actor who played Thomas was phenomenal - his torture was well handled in his soulful, suffering eyes. Gritty, romantic, fab acting, humor, that fabulous indy film vibe. How can you go wrong. A MUST WATCH. Only downsides: wish the mom had more story, and a tad more subtlety with the copious bloodsucking sequences (a bit "overkill" :-) )

Surprisingly good film. Quite edgy, gritty and well produced considering the budget. Really enjoyed it as it wasn't your typical vampire film. Good acting throughout and some great filming. I liked this and can see this having a good cult following. The storyline was well executed and some good moments as well, that made you smile.

Location filming was good throughout. I felt like this film had you wanting more and more, which delivered as it went on. You do find yourself second guessing where it was going to go ,which I liked as there is nothing worse than knowing the ending while you watch it. Yes definitely a good watch.

Perfect concept of a drained relationship. Loved this film...

I really enjoyed watching Drained. A lot of suspense throughout the film with a touch of comedy and this film is relatable for some people in dark relationships, in troubled homelife situations and just for those trying to find their way.

This film also shows how much someone can go through and even loose their own selfworth, friendships, fall out with family and become uncertain of who you are anymore - just for love... It is a dark film, but really worth the watch. Congrats to all the cast and crew.

I highly recommend this film - especially if you are a fan of thrillers and vampire films.

While not a fan of the genre ,this Vampire film was different, in that there was a gritty 21st century suburban realism brought to the genre. Parallels with addiction and mental health issues are very prevalent in this film which is shot in the sickly half light of an addict looking to score, it is as if Trainspotting had met the Vampire movie and had a kid which was raised by Ken Loach and this movie is the result. Not many vampire movies show the vulnerability of their protagonists or show them pissing or struggling with the electricity bill. Ruaridh Aldington gives a very nuanced believable portrayal of Thomas, the struggling 20 something graphic artist wannabe living with his Mum who is wonderfully brought to life by Angela Dixon. Madeline's Bellariu Ion portrays the reluctant Romanian predator trapped by her own condition, again more allegory, in a very sexy but scary way and Craig Conway's John brings relieves the tension with down to earth comedic skills as the sarcastic Northern boyfriend of Thomas's mother. When he says "welcome to the horror show" referring to the unaffordabilty of modern life in London we all get that. Kenton Lloyd Morgan adds to the grimy realism with his portrayal of homeless man on the streets. Peter Stylianou has written and edited a film about 21st Century London where the protagonists just happen to be Vampires. Sean Cronin and he have crafted a vampire movie for grown ups with a nod to the pitfalls of youth and the clubbing world in an urban environment. Daniel Patrick Vaughan's chiaroscuro lighting gives the ambience of what it should feel like to be a vampire in contrast to the bright colours of Hammer and Amicus productions of the 60's and 70's . Stylianou's script revises the vampire myth to the point of pisstake where Rhea, Bellariu Ion's character screams when the sun shines on her, and then bursts out laughing to let us realise that what we have believed about Vampires all this time, that they die if exposed to sunlight, is a myth, perhaps referencing the myths we believe about Eastern Europeans or indeed all foreigners . Then he has her saying that her and her husband moved to London because of the cloud. While making all these socially relevant points the Cronin and Stylianou never drop the pace of the film or the suspense or horror. It is after all a Vampire film, but one with a new more realistic bite.

Given my life-long love of the horror genre, of course I opted to sit down and watch the 2024 movie "Drained", here in 2025, as I had the opportunity to do so. All I knew about it was that it was a vampire movie of sorts. So I didn't really have any expectations to the movie. So in a way, I suppose that directors Peter Stylianou and Sean Cronin had every opportunity to entertain and impress me with their movie.

Writer Peter Stylianou put together an adequate script and storyline. It was definitely a different take on the vampire genre, in comparison to many generic and formulaic vampire movies out there. I will say that I was definitely adequately entertained throughout the course of the movie.

While I was not familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list, I will say that I found the acting performances in the movie to be good. I was especially impressed with leading actor Ruaridh Aldington, because he carried the movie quite well.

The effects in "Drained" were fair. It was not a movie that relied heavily on a galore of special effects in order to tell its story.

While "Drained" was a watchable movie, it hardly is a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing, though.

My rating of "Drained" lands on a five out of ten stars. I enjoyed the different take on the vampire genre that directors Peter Stylianou and Sean Cronin went for.