The tyranist's thoughts
Do you like vampire movies? Even after seeing Jugular Wine? Well, you might like Addicted to Murder, but I should inform you up front that this is in the new generation of of vampire films. It used to be that vampires were male and dominating and yet, for all their allure, fundamentally repellent. Now vampires are mostly female and sexy as hell. The movies portray them as something to be envied even if they do wallow in the blood of others.
Another thing common to the new generation is that the old rules don't apply. This film is no exception and possibly leads out in new directions of not following the traditional vampire mythos. In the particular case of Addicted to Murder there are a couple of small breaks (like vampires don't mind sunlight) but there is one really interesting break that I'm not sure was entirely conscious. One of my favourite elements of any vampire mythos is how people become vampires and what happens to a vampire's victims. Here, it is apparent that an exchange of blood is required which isn't so unusual. The difference lies in an apparent code of behaviour that the vampires use to determine who is worthy of becoming a vampire. It is apparent that they spend years working on Joel before allowing him to become one of them. By that time he is an accomplished serial killer and doesn't have some of the reservations that are often exploited in vampire stories.
I'd lay down a plot line for you, but frankly, this one was pretty confusing. There was an overabundance of flashback material mixed with present day material that often didn't relate directly to the last set of present day material. The plot isn't indecipherable, it just has a circular quality that is unusual in film and even written storytelling. If you are patient and pay attention, all will be told. For those of you who require a tidbit up front, a generalized version of the story is that a vampire basically creates a serial killer from an abused boy who then dedicates his life to finding the vampire after she is gone.
Independent to the core, you shouldn't expect high production values from Addicted to Murder. The script was passable and the acting adequate. Nothing about the production makes it stand out so really you should only see this if you are interested in the story.
This one sits firmly in the new generation of vampire films with films like Razor Blade Smile and Modern Vampires and so will probably be enjoyed by quite a few. It wasn't especially to my taste, but really it isn't a bad effort. There were some neat moments and the normal romance that Joel pursues was quite nice. I have high hopes for the sequel.