Bloodsuckers

Bloodsuckers

Year: 1989

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: Croatian

Director: Dejan Šorak

ComedyHorror

Zagreb’s streets are deserted as rumors of a vampire preying on solitary women spread. Psychiatrist Franjo Glogowetz receives a visitor, Teobald Majer, who claims to be a 16th‑century vampire and says the Glogovac family are famed hunters. Franjo scoffs, but his wife Barbara believes him. Soon his cousins Jambrek and Jurek arrive, getting caught in the supernatural mess.

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Timeline & Setting – Bloodsuckers (1989)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Bloodsuckers (1989). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 20th century

Events unfold in contemporary Zagreb, with police, a hospital, and libraries playing pivotal roles. The plot weaves a 16th-century vampire myth into present-day life, creating tension between superstition and rational inquiry. The time frame grounds the story in a recognizable era while letting folklore intrude into daily existence.

Location

Zagreb, Gornji Grad, Zagreb Zoo, Zagreb Botanical Garden, Mirogoj Cemetery, Jankomir Psychiatric Hospital, Glogowecz villa

The story is set in Zagreb’s nocturnal streets and its historic Upper Town (Gornji Grad), moving through a secluded villa, the city zoo, the botanical garden, and the Mirogoj Cemetery. Nighttime locations and ancient landmarks provide a Gothic backdrop for a modern vampire scare. The urban setting blends contemporary city life with echoes of a centuries-old bloodline.

🏙️ Urban setting 🏛️ Historic district 🌳 Green spaces 🕵️ Crime mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:34

Main Characters – Bloodsuckers (1989)

Meet the key characters of Bloodsuckers (1989), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Barbara (Ksenija Marinković)

The young wife of Franz who is drawn to Teobold’s enigmatic claim. She pursues novelty and flirtation, following Teobold and inviting him to the villa, which unsettles the household and complicates Franz’s investigation. Her actions reveal a mix of curiosity, independence, and willingness to risk danger.

💃 Female lead ⚠️ Danger

Dr Franz Glogowecz

A psychiatrist who is initially skeptical of Teobold’s vampire tale but becomes increasingly convinced as he uncovers a family history of vampirism. His rational approach clashes with the legend, driving him to act—seeking proof, collecting clues, and planning to stake the vampire. He embodies the tension between science and folklore.

🧠 Psychologist 🔬 Investigator

Teobold Majer

A mysterious figure who claims to be a 16th-century vampire, using ancient lore to manipulate those around him. His presence destabilizes the already fragile balance between belief and doubt, and he remains a menacing, unknowable force throughout the night. He is the catalyst that pushes the story toward its supernatural turn.

🧛 Vampire ⚠️ Threat

Jambrek Glogowecz

Franz’s estranged uncle, a loud and opportunistic presence who brings along his dimwitted son. He navigates family secrets with a mix of bravado and shameless pragmatism, inadvertently accelerating the unraveling of the vampire myth within the family.

👪 Relative 🔎 Trickster

Jurek Glogowecz

Franz’s nephew, portrayed as somewhat naïve and easily spooked. He misidentifies Teobold as Krampus, adding a chaotic, comic element to the drama while still contributing to the night’s escalating tension.

👶 Relative 🧩 Befuddled

Jalža

A housemaid with a past connection to Teobold’s story who helps the family navigate the night’s complications. Her loyalties are mixed, and she becomes a key facilitator of the nocturnal intrusions.

🧑‍🌾 Servant 🔗 Link

Drakulić

The cadaver whose grave becomes the focus of the vampire hunt. The living cadaver’s reappearance during the stake attempt blurs the line between myth and reality, underscoring the film’s themes of resurrection and belief.

🗺️ Grave ⚰️ Vampire

Inspector Brodski

A police inspector who becomes entangled in Franz’s vampire investigation, representing official scrutiny and the public face of law in a night of strange events. He challenges the plausibility of the tale while quietly supporting a deeper inquiry.

🔎 Inspector 🧭 Law

Bjelinski

A healer who offers cryptic assistance and seems to know more about the local legends than he initially reveals. His involvement adds a layer of medical and folkloric authority to the unfolding mystery.

🧪 Healer 🗺️ Knowledge

Nepoznata žena

A young woman who answers the vampire-killing ad, sharing a neck wound and guiding the protagonists toward a vampire’s grave. She is part of the night’s deception and contributes to the sting operation’s tension.

💫 Mysterious 🗝️ Informant

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:34

Major Themes – Bloodsuckers (1989)

Explore the central themes of Bloodsuckers (1989), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧛 Vampire Myth

Teobold Majer presents himself as a 16th-century vampire, using age-old lore to unsettle the living. The film tests the boundary between superstition and science, as Franz searches archives for proof while gathering a hawthorn stake. Barbara's fascination with the legend fuels a dangerous curiosity that can override reason and loyalty. The vampire myth remains a living force in the urban night, never fully resolved.

🕯️ Belief vs Skepticism

Barbara's attraction to Teobold makes her a wildcard whose choices threaten the household's order. Franz starts as a skeptic, but the accumulated clues—old family records, torn fabric, and a planned stake—pull him toward belief. The séance and the discovery of ancestral vampirism push rational thought into uneasy territory. The film uses this tension to explore how belief can drive actions as compelling as any crime.

🧬 Legacy

The Glogowecz family history stretches back to the 16th century, with seven ancestors staked as vampires and a woman burned as a witch named Barbara. Teobold's claim prompts a reexamination of that lineage, linking modern events to a long-buried past. The narrative ties personal identity to historic myth, showing how heritage shapes fear and motive. The past resurfaces in the present as the investigation deepens.

🔎 Investigation

Jambrek and Jurek launch a vampire-killing ad, turning myth into a service and drawing official attention. Inspector Brodski and Dr. Bjelinski embody the rational counterforces, hinting at formal scrutiny of the occult. The cemetery sting operation reveals how deception and legend can blend with crime, forcing the characters to confront what is real. The film maintains a tense, investigative tone as events edge toward a final judgment.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:34

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Narrative Summary

The story follows a pragmatic or scientific protagonist who dismisses claims of the supernatural. Through a series of increasingly strange occurrences or encounters with believers, they are compelled to investigate, leading them to question their own skepticism. The journey often involves uncovering a hidden legacy or truth, culminating in an ambiguous resolution that doesn't entirely confirm or deny the supernatural.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the internal conflict of a skeptic. They explore themes of belief vs. science, often with moderate complexity and an ambiguous ending, creating a compelling character arc that is central to the plot's development.

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Bloodsuckers Summary

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Bloodsuckers Timeline

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