Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023)
One of the big first screening of the 2023 Venice Film Festival was for Pablo Larraín's newest feature, El Conde. Reimagining Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a vampire, the film took home Best Screenplay from the festival and mixed reviews from audiences. While El Conde might have got the bulk of attention due to its established director and Netflix's support as distributor, it was not the only vampire feature to come from the festival. Ariane Louis-Seize's directorial debut, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, also released at the festival and is proof that films of all size deserve attention considering the film out-laps El Conde in nearly every way.
The premise of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is genuinely quite a work of genius. Rather than simply asking the question of what if a historical figure was a vampire, reinventing the view of the figure and using that to create a narrative of worth, the film changes the entire focus of the genre by reinventing the lens in which it looks through vampirism. The film focuses on a young girl named Sasha (Sara Montpetit) who comes from a family of vampires. Unlike her relatives, she is less than thrilled about the concept of having to kill for the blood she needs to survive but her family knows there will be a day where she must fend for herself. They push her to accept her fate but Sasha just cannot bring herself to kill so she decides to try a new method. She looks for suicidal people who might be open to being killed for her need and meets a boy named Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard). Together, they agree to a plan but as they get closer, it becomes more and more of a question of if Sasha can actually go through with the killing.
Immediately adding a fresh premise to the vampire genre, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a cinematic breath of fresh air. The moral implications surrounding vampires is nothing new, but this strive to find an ethical way for these creatures to survive is a strong lens for the film to take that hasn't been explored deeply on the screen like this. There is the undeniable fact that Sasha will one day have to kill if she wants to survive, but even the present, there is the undeniable fact that her life is dependent on the death of others. One can wonderfully expand this conversation to reflect the modern moral discussion surrounding the consumption of meat where many would refuse to kill an animal directly even if they are ok eating what is presented to them as food.
This harkens back to some of the best entries in the horror genre with a cinematic connection in relevance being seen clearly to Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Horror is not just a genre to catch audiences with sudden jumps and scary images, it is a genre that allows a horrific reflection to be found between the extremes happening on screen and the truths of the everyday experience. When these two factors have a relationship to each-other, it can create profound realizations within the audience that elevates the real world conversation. While this might not be the main message or focus of the film, its presence undeniably helps richen the viewing experience of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person.
However, to call Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person a horror film is possibly a misleading statement, especially with the current state of the genre. Rather than being filled with any jump-scares or truly over the top moments of flesh, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a far more quiet and thoughtful feature. Especially once the audience gets through the beyond disturbing opening sequence, the film embraces a lo-fi tone and style that specifically allows the relationship between Sasha and Paul to take control. Both Montpetit and Bénard have expectational chemistry and their connection feels authentic. Especially due to the more reserved nature of both of their characters, it feels impactful to see them break out of their shells and find a deeper meaning and enjoyment of life in the moments they share together. Of course, the clock is running out and the audience will slowly find themselves scooting further and further to the edge of their seats trying to find a way out for these characters.
This escalation of tension grows naturally throughout the film's third act leading to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion that feels worthy of the feature that comes before it. The confidence from Louis-Seize as a debut director is rather exceptional and immediately propels her to be one of the most exciting new directors working today. This is also the first feature screenplay to come from the pairing of Louis-Seize and co-writer Christine Doyon with the control found in every step of the feature also being beyond impressive. These two have created one of the most consistent and composed features of the year and should be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.
While the 2023 Venice Film Festival might always be remembered for its bigger premiers and award campaign starts, it is absolutely films like Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person that give festivals like this such a wonderful presence and identity. Adding itself to an already strong past decade of horror releases, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a marvelous feature that deserves all the attention and praise.
The premise of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is genuinely quite a work of genius. Rather than simply asking the question of what if a historical figure was a vampire, reinventing the view of the figure and using that to create a narrative of worth, the film changes the entire focus of the genre by reinventing the lens in which it looks through vampirism. The film focuses on a young girl named Sasha (Sara Montpetit) who comes from a family of vampires. Unlike her relatives, she is less than thrilled about the concept of having to kill for the blood she needs to survive but her family knows there will be a day where she must fend for herself. They push her to accept her fate but Sasha just cannot bring herself to kill so she decides to try a new method. She looks for suicidal people who might be open to being killed for her need and meets a boy named Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard). Together, they agree to a plan but as they get closer, it becomes more and more of a question of if Sasha can actually go through with the killing.
Immediately adding a fresh premise to the vampire genre, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a cinematic breath of fresh air. The moral implications surrounding vampires is nothing new, but this strive to find an ethical way for these creatures to survive is a strong lens for the film to take that hasn't been explored deeply on the screen like this. There is the undeniable fact that Sasha will one day have to kill if she wants to survive, but even the present, there is the undeniable fact that her life is dependent on the death of others. One can wonderfully expand this conversation to reflect the modern moral discussion surrounding the consumption of meat where many would refuse to kill an animal directly even if they are ok eating what is presented to them as food.
This harkens back to some of the best entries in the horror genre with a cinematic connection in relevance being seen clearly to Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Horror is not just a genre to catch audiences with sudden jumps and scary images, it is a genre that allows a horrific reflection to be found between the extremes happening on screen and the truths of the everyday experience. When these two factors have a relationship to each-other, it can create profound realizations within the audience that elevates the real world conversation. While this might not be the main message or focus of the film, its presence undeniably helps richen the viewing experience of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person.
However, to call Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person a horror film is possibly a misleading statement, especially with the current state of the genre. Rather than being filled with any jump-scares or truly over the top moments of flesh, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a far more quiet and thoughtful feature. Especially once the audience gets through the beyond disturbing opening sequence, the film embraces a lo-fi tone and style that specifically allows the relationship between Sasha and Paul to take control. Both Montpetit and Bénard have expectational chemistry and their connection feels authentic. Especially due to the more reserved nature of both of their characters, it feels impactful to see them break out of their shells and find a deeper meaning and enjoyment of life in the moments they share together. Of course, the clock is running out and the audience will slowly find themselves scooting further and further to the edge of their seats trying to find a way out for these characters.
This escalation of tension grows naturally throughout the film's third act leading to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion that feels worthy of the feature that comes before it. The confidence from Louis-Seize as a debut director is rather exceptional and immediately propels her to be one of the most exciting new directors working today. This is also the first feature screenplay to come from the pairing of Louis-Seize and co-writer Christine Doyon with the control found in every step of the feature also being beyond impressive. These two have created one of the most consistent and composed features of the year and should be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.
While the 2023 Venice Film Festival might always be remembered for its bigger premiers and award campaign starts, it is absolutely films like Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person that give festivals like this such a wonderful presence and identity. Adding itself to an already strong past decade of horror releases, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a marvelous feature that deserves all the attention and praise.