We're once again in a post-apocalypse scenario, except that, in this case, the Earth has been over-run by vampires, leading to the expected chaos and societal breakdown. Connor Paolo plays Martin, a young man whose family fall victim to the "vamps" early on; however, he's immediately rescued by a hardened character named only "Mister" (co-writer Nick Damici). "Mister", you see, has adjusted quite well to this Hell-on-Earth scenario, and is already an expert vampire killer. "Mister" and Martin hit the road, acquiring other travelling companions along the way. Their ultimate goal is to reach the fabled "New Eden", which is supposedly some sort of safe haven.

One has to give some credit to Damici and co-writer / editor / director Jim Mickle here. Instead of focusing exclusively on one gimmick or another (like gore),they actually give such things as story and character the highest priority. Everything else is just icing on the cake: the gore and vampire makeup are excellent, the location work is striking, the music by Jeff Grace simply beautiful. These are characters one can really care about, and should they happen to be victimized, it really hurts when they die. Mickle and company hit the ground running, just to make sure they have our attention, then give us a road movie where not a moment goes to waste.

Plus, the acting is generally better than you may expect, with some familiar faces (Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Sean Nelson) rounding out the principal group of characters who join "Mister" and Martin on the journey. Michael Cerveris is superb as an intimidating "prophet" leading a group of thugs known as The Brotherhood. This group has come to prominence in more rural areas. Paolo is appealing as the kid who will have to grow up quickly, while Damici has definite presence and makes the most out of a badass role.

This is one worth seeking out for dedicated genre fans.

Followed by a series of televised prequel-shorts for principal characters, and a sequel.

Eight out of 10.

In a near future, the North America is an anarchic country after a vampire apocalypse. The teenager Martin (Connor Paolo) is preparing to travel with his parents when they are attacked by a vampire. Martin is rescued by the stranger Mister (Nick Damici) and after killing the vampire, they head to the north expecting to reach the New Eden, former Canada.

Along their journey through the destroyed country, they rescue and befriend other survivors and have to fight not only against the vampires, but also a dangerous brotherhood of fanatic religious members led by the insane Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris).

The unknown and melancholic road-movie "Stake Land" is a little gem to be discovered, with a dramatic story of a vampire epidemic in USA. The plot is a combination of "The Omega Man" and "The Road" with "The Walking Dead" and "Mad Max" and really works very well. Most of the recent horror movies has shallow stories with one dimension characters, but in "Stake Land:, the characters are well developed and there is no corny redemption or salvation for most of them. If you enjoy horror B- movies with lots of gore, naked teenagers and clichés, you will certainly be disappointed with "Stake Land". My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Stake Land - Anoitecer Violento" ("Stake Land - Violent Nightfall")

Note: On 21 December 2020, I saw this film again.

STAKE LAND is the story of a world after the apocalypse, where the remnants of society are plagued by merciless vampires and even more merciless human survivors who think nothing of raping and pillaging their way to the future. The main characters are driving cross-country so there are road movie elements to the narrative too. Yes, it's EXACTLY the same as a dozen other post-apocalyptic movies of recent years. Think of it as THE ROAD but with added vampires.

I quite like the genre and STAKE LAND is a fun example of what it can do. The characters are forgettable and the dialogue is unremarkable, but Jim Mickle's direction is efficient and he elicits maximum suspense out of the various survival scenarios. The vampires here aren't really what you think of vampires, they look and act more like zombies, but the opening sequence is unforgettably grisly and well-handled. Film fans should keep an eye out for an unrecognisable Kelly McGillis as a nun who tags along for the ride. STAKE LAND is no classic but it is a fun little movie.