“So you two clowns are vampires, huh?” —Jakeem
Today’s quick review: Vampiyaz. Eight years after he was imprisoned for a robbery gone wrong, Jakeem (Richard Carroll, Jr.), a talented safe cracker, returns home to make a new life for himself. But he soon learns that Khalil (Malik Burke), the partner who betrayed him, has since turned into a vampire. Promising Jakeem a fortune, Khalil ropes him into one last job: to steal an amulet that can lift the vampire’s curse.
Vampiyaz is a budget horror movie with crime drama and comedy elements. Vampiyaz aims to be a harrowing tale of betrayal, remorse, and revenge, all wrapped up in the thrilling horror of vampirism. The movie is none of these things. The crime elements shine through the strongest, but flimsy writing keeps them from having any impact. The vampires almost feel like an afterthought: they are dropped into the plot with no build-up or explanation.
Vampiyaz is an ultra-low-budget production and it shows. The props are repurposed household items, from the plastic beads posing as valuable jewelry to the egg timer masquerading as a time bomb. The filming locations are clearly limited to whatever was available, and the bulk of the film takes place in one abandoned building or another. The film is also stingy with its supporting cast, at times implying the presence of characters who are not seen.
Still, Vampiyaz is not a total loss. The movie has an honesty about it that is refreshing. What you see is exactly what you get. Vampiyaz also has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that offsets its grim subject matter. How much of the humor is intentional is hard to say, but the result is a smoother watch than the usual budget production. And while the writing, acting, and cinematography are by no means good, the film does get some of the basics right.
Check out Vampiyaz if you are interested in a spirited amateur production. The film has almost nothing to offer in the way of story, acting, or action, but its unintentional humor and lack of pretension make it a charming watch nonetheless. For another amateur film with more quotable dialogue and a slightly higher budget, check out The Room. For a well-written crime drama with a loosely similar plot and no vampires, check out The Town.
2.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 2.5 for its rock-bottom production values and a 6.5 for its surprising enjoyability.