Night Teeth: More Bark Than Bite
This review may contain some spoilers if you have not yet watched the film Night Teeth on Netflix!
Right off the bat I will tell you that I give Night Teeth on Netflix a 6.2/10.
However, the John Wick-like supernatural world and rivalries introduced in the film by screenplay writer Brent Dillon has the potential to make any subsequent films, prequels, and/or series a 10/10.
What this movie failed to do, and honestly didn’t have the time to do in its 108-minute runtime, was explore the complex and high-octane underworld it set up.
The film starts with a voiceover of one of the main vampire characters recapping the evolution of modern vampires as neon illustrations scroll across the shiny, reflective surfaces of a sports car speeding down the city streets. The three rules the vampires must abide by are as follows:
- Don’t let humans know they exist
- Don’t feed on the unwilling
- Never enter Boyle Heights without permission
The main plot of the film plays out over the course of one night and revolves around Victor, an evil vampire who crosses the Boyle Heights truce territory line and starts a war on a quest for ultimate power. He orders the execution of the vampire network bosses, carried out by his two, female vampire assassins, Zoe and Blaire. He also has many of the vampire hunters killed. Zoe and Blaire are chauffeured to different stops by young, unwitting student, Benny, who is posing as his older brother “Jay” for the night to match the rental car credentials.
If anyone asks, you’re me, got it?
Jay
While Benny is unaware that his big brother is a famed vampire hunter, little do either of them know that the rental car booking is part of a larger plan for Victor to kidnap and eliminate Jay.
—PAUSE—
If I get killed because someone close to me kept me in the dark about them being a vampire hunter, werewolf, etc., I am going to be pissed!
—RESUME—
Now let’s get into some of the interesting elements that didn’t have the opportunity to be fleshed out:
- Ancient weapons: where did they come from and why do the crossbows shoot lightsaber arrows?
- What’s the history behind the three generations of Perez vampire hunters and Night Legion?
- What is the deal with the familiars in this world? Familiars have most recently been referenced in the Blade series and in What We Do in the Shadows.
- What is to come of the exposure of vampires to the public?
- What will the future look like for Benny and Jay?
Netflix doesn’t have the best track record for additional seasons of shows or film sequels, especially in the time of Covid, so we shall see what the future holds for the world of Boyle Heights.