Near Dark

One fateful night, Caleb Colton, a young resident of a quiet town, encounters a captivating drifter named Mae. Just as dawn is about to break, Mae bites him on the neck and flees, leading to an alarming transformation when sunlight causes Caleb’s skin to smoke and burn. Mae soon appears again, this time with a group of nomadic vampires in an RV, bringing him into their world. Among them is the dangerously volatile Severen, who harbors intentions to kill Caleb, but Mae intervenes, revealing that she has already turned him into one of their kind.

Their enigmatic leader, Jesse Hooker, begrudgingly permits Caleb to stay with them for a week. During this period, they hope he might adapt to the dark habits of vampirism and earn their trust. However, Caleb struggles internally with the concept of killing for sustenance, which puts him at odds with his new companions. To shield him from the group’s wrath, Mae commits the lethal acts required for feeding and then shares her blood with him.

Tensions mount when Jesse’s gang invades a local bar, brutally slaying everyone inside before setting it ablaze during their escape. Caleb, trying to help a surviving victim flee, jeopardizes their safety. Initially, the group turns against him but later comes to appreciate his bravery when he risks his life to protect them during a police raid by creating a diversion. As a bond begins to form, Caleb quizzes Jesse about his age, to which Jesse cryptically replies that he “fought for the South” during the Civil War, implying he’s around 150 years old—an assertion supported by Severen, who hints that they played a part in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Meanwhile, Caleb’s father searches for him, drawn closer to Jesse’s group. Within the vampire clique is a child named Homer who becomes infatuated with Caleb’s sister, Sarah, and desires to turn her into his companion. Caleb vehemently opposes this, escalating tensions. In the midst of the strife, Caleb’s father confronts the group with a gun, demanding Sarah’s release. Jesse, in typical fashion, goads him into shooting, only to spit the bullet back out before overpowering Caleb’s father. During the ensuing chaos, Sarah accidentally allows sunlight to pour in, burning the vampires and giving Caleb an opportunity to escape with his family.

In desperation, Caleb proposes a blood transfusion as a potential solution. Remarkably, this treatment reverses his vampiric condition. As night falls, the vampires close in on Caleb and Sarah. Mae attempts to lure Caleb back into her embrace while the others seize Sarah. After discovering her kidnapping and finding his vehicle vandalized, Caleb embarks on a furious chase on horseback. After a fierce confrontation with Severen, Caleb commandeers a truck, running the monster over. But Severen survives, launching himself onto the vehicle in retaliation, only for Caleb to cause a fiery explosion that claims Severen’s life.

Seeking revenge, Jesse and his partner, Diamondback, pursue Caleb but are forced to flee as daylight envelopes them. In a climactic twist, Mae bursts out of their vehicle, carrying Sarah as she shields her from the sun’s deadly rays, even as her own skin begins to burn. Tragically, Homer attempts to follow suit but succumbs to the sun’s grasp, perishing in the process. As Jesse and Diamondback realize their own impending doom, they try to run Caleb and Sarah over, ultimately meeting their fate in a fiery crash.

In the aftermath, Mae awakens, her injuries healed due to the same transfusion that has saved Caleb. Vulnerable and scared, she confides her fears to Caleb, who comforts her in his embrace as the film concludes, leaving a lingering sense of hope amidst the chaos of their tumultuous journey.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 12:10