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That is the exchange between young Arash (Arash Marandi) and the lead girl (Sheila Vand), which is the truth from any encounter we have with new people. It is always a gamble, a toss of the dice. We don't know each other, and yet sometimes, it doesn't matter. We take the gamble, toss the dice, and see where the road and the night leads us.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night puts a spin to the story with the lead girl, who remains unnamed, being a vampire. This adds a couple of additional layers of mystery and danger to her encounter with Arash. But Arash isn't a saint himself. They're both carrying secrets and burdens that the other doesn't know about.
Like the characters themselves, this film goes beyond being *just* a vampire movie. It is an interesting mish-mash of genres and styles that go from western to coming-of-age. The two main characters are essentially two teens getting to know each other, each forced by circumstances to grow up and be... something different.
Despite this, the want for those innocent and tender moments of youth remains. Whether it is the main character playfully skateboarding around, or Arash dressed up as none other than Dracula for a costume party. Nevermind that the skateboard is stolen from a kid she scared to death by threatening to take his eyes out of his skull, or that he's in the costume party selling drugs. They don't know the things they've done.
For a debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an impressive one. Most definitely a slow burn, but a burn nonetheless. Gorgeously shot, visually striking, emotively acted, with the depth of an existential drama and the charm of a teen romance, no matter how odd it might be.
Grade:
A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
(2014, Amirpour)
(2014, Amirpour)
"You don´t know the things I´ve done."
"And you don´t know the things I´ve done."
"And you don´t know the things I´ve done."
That is the exchange between young Arash (Arash Marandi) and the lead girl (Sheila Vand), which is the truth from any encounter we have with new people. It is always a gamble, a toss of the dice. We don't know each other, and yet sometimes, it doesn't matter. We take the gamble, toss the dice, and see where the road and the night leads us.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night puts a spin to the story with the lead girl, who remains unnamed, being a vampire. This adds a couple of additional layers of mystery and danger to her encounter with Arash. But Arash isn't a saint himself. They're both carrying secrets and burdens that the other doesn't know about.
Like the characters themselves, this film goes beyond being *just* a vampire movie. It is an interesting mish-mash of genres and styles that go from western to coming-of-age. The two main characters are essentially two teens getting to know each other, each forced by circumstances to grow up and be... something different.
Despite this, the want for those innocent and tender moments of youth remains. Whether it is the main character playfully skateboarding around, or Arash dressed up as none other than Dracula for a costume party. Nevermind that the skateboard is stolen from a kid she scared to death by threatening to take his eyes out of his skull, or that he's in the costume party selling drugs. They don't know the things they've done.
For a debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an impressive one. Most definitely a slow burn, but a burn nonetheless. Gorgeously shot, visually striking, emotively acted, with the depth of an existential drama and the charm of a teen romance, no matter how odd it might be.
Grade: