Running Time: 91 Minutes
Starring: Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard, Steve Laplante, Sophie Cadieux, Noémie O’Farrell, Marie Brassard, Lilas-Rose Cantin, Gabriel-Antoine Roy, Madeleine Péloquin, Arnaud Vachon
Director Ariane Louis-Seize opens her film on the birthday of a young girl named Sasha. She loves her gift of a keyboard, an item she can play extremely well despite never touching a piano before. Her next present soon arrives in the form of Rico the Clown, a lively performer arrives adorned in many colours. While he is ready to perform magic, the performer is unaware that he was mainly hired to be devoured by the family of vampires. This feast is welcomed by all except a horrified Sasha.
A trip to the psychologists leaves Sasha diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, something which her father supports while her mother struggles to deal with. When the parents cut off her blood supply, Sasha (Sara Montpetit) struggles to make the leap to killing. Her eye is caught by Paul (Félix Antoine-Bénard), a lonely teenager who is ready to take his own life. Bullied by his peers and misunderstood by teachers, he soon becomes willing to give his life to save Sasha, leading the pair on a quest to fulfill Paul's last wishes.
Adapting a screenplay she co-wrote with Christine Doyon, Louis-Seize crafts a look at everyday problems through a vampiric lens. This domestic look at these supernatural beings allows for fun lines like "cadavers don't grow on trees," and the sight of a child drinking a blood bag like a Capri Sun. The main source of conflict comes down to a parental figure believing her child should contribute more to the household, a relatable issue delivered in engaging ways.
While the family wish for Sasha to become self-reliant, she does not wish to participate in such murderous cruelty, which leaves her unable to find food while her fangs struggle to come out. As she is tempted to eat human food, an act that would cause death for a vampire, Sasha finds a kindred spirit in Paul. The writing and effortlessly likeable performances make for an endearing pairing, with a connection forming courtesy of their struggles at matching what is expected of them.
As Paul readies himself to be drained by Sasha, he becomes intent on telling off his main bully. To reach that point, he works his way up by getting back at others who have treated him awfully. It makes for a fun sequence that could be life-affirming wish fulfilment, as long as one overlooks what it is leading towards. Admittedly, this is material which has been done to stronger effect elsewhere, yet there are bundles of charm within Human Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. With a title that effectively captures the plot, this is a solid work about the universal issues which affect different people.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is now available in U.S. Cinemas
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