Adrien Beau's feature debut somehow mirrors a fraction of what the Vourdalak means to him. Detaching itself from the adaptation literature and avoiding a remake of Black Sabbath, an important horror anthology by Mario Bava, Le Vourdalak offers a new campy approach. While Vourdalak was played by Boris Karloff in the past, this film introduces a puppet for the titular character.
Unfolding as a 16mm low-budget A24-style adaptation of Aleksei Tolstoy's novella, this vampire story predates Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's a campy, pastoral vampire movie that can be overly theatrical at times. I don't mean this as a criticism, but rather as an acknowledgment of its distinct style. The film showcases cool ideas and draws inspiration from classics like Barry Lyndon and Hans W. Geißendörfer's Jonathan (1970), as well as the work of legendary directors like F. W. Murnau, Jean Rollins, and Albert Serra.
The film might seem aimless at times, but it ultimately delivers on the tropes associated with folk horror. The story centers around Marquis Jacques Antoine, a pale-faced envoy of the King of France, who resembles a low-budget Pee-wee Herman. Lost and alone, he seeks shelter in the house of Gorcha, a place that may offer safety but also harbors a sinister secret. The head of household is a vampire-like creature called a Vourdalak who has returned. In a quest for revenge, the Marquis will succeed in killing Gorcha and his family, losing his respect and wig in the process.
Le Vourdalak brings its own perspective to the vampire myth with its old-fashioned charm and campy drama.
