Netflix's brand new Vampires Vs. the Bronx is a new-ish take on an old story: a group of teenagers must do battle with the nefarious vampires who are taking over their neighborhood. A tale as old as time. But what's new - and quite refreshing - is that nearly the entire cast are POC, except for the bad guys who are very, very white.
Miguel/"Lil' Mayor", with the help of his BFFs Bobby and Luis, is putting together a block party fundraiser to save the neighborhood bodega that was their second home. All throughout the neighborhood, real estate developers are coming in and paying cash money to the local people. Most of the adults see this as easy money and a chance to get out of the Bronx. What the kids see is the loss of their beloved neighborhood as gentrifying forces replace bodegas and nail salons with coffee bars and hipster shops. What's worse: the gentrifying forces are actually vampires who know that the city police won't look too hard for all the missing gangbangers, etc., who have become midnight snacks. Truly, what is scarier: gentrification or suckheads?
There's not a ton of plot. Lil' Mayor wants to save the bodega, flirt with older girls and not get so embarrassed by his mom. Luis ("the Puerto Rican Harry Potter") is just glad to be back in the Bronx with his friends, after being shipped off to Tampa to stay with relatives. Bobby has the most compelling side-story as he navigates being recruited by a local gangbanger. And they have to learn how to kill vampires.
Vampire-wise, there is no new ground being broken. This is a lightweight horror-comedy. There are specific references to Blade, Buffy and 'Salem's Lot. This is a PG-13 offering and nothing is scarier than your average BtVS episode. But the cast is fantastic and charming as hell. Representation matters and I for one welcome more diversity into the horror genre.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment