Fright Night (1985) Review – A Masterclass in 80s Vampire Horror

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Tom Holland’s (not that one) Fright Night (1985).

80s Horror Had Changed So Much

Fright Night follows the story of Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale). A young man who firmly believes that his new next-door neighbour, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), is a vampire and will stop at nothing to expose him while protecting his family and friends.

“Foregoing the slasher trend of the time, Fright Night is an old-fashioned vampire story brought to the suburbs. It was a masterstroke of horror genius and the rest is history.”

This is an absolute classic of the horror genre. Foregoing the slasher trend of the time, it’s an old-fashioned vampire story brought to the suburbs. The 80s was a bit of a strange time for horror. Making movies focusing on things like Dracula and Frankenstein was passé. Kill counts were now the most important thing. Buckets of blood, cheeky bits of nudity, and ominous masked killers were the hallmarks of 80s horror cinema. Their names can roll off any horror fan’s tongue: Freddy, Jason, Mike Myers, Chucky – short names for quick thrills. It was horror for a generation that didn’t want to think too much.

A vampire movie for the modern age

Then, in the mid-80s, along came Fright Night. Openly declaring the director’s disdain for the new slasher trend, Peter Vincent laments: “Nobody wants to see vampire killers anymore, or vampires either. Apparently, all they want to see are demented madmen running around in ski-masks. Hacking up young virgins“.

It was entirely true. Holland himself even had a hand in it; he was responsible for the first in the Child’s Play series. It was his love of horror with a deep story that led him to create something a bit deeper.

This is a movie that is acutely aware of the changing nature of horror. The big question was, how do you bring traditional vampires to the modern age? Well, the obvious solution is to place the vampire in the suburbs, throw in a little bit of Rear Window-esque voyeuristic tension, and give us a hapless protagonist that we can all relate to. It was a masterstroke of horror genius and the rest is history.

Truly iconic characters

Giving his actors significant control over the presentation of their characters, Holland managed to elevate Fright Night massively. He allowed the cast to add personality, nuance and depth to their respective roles. The result is a bunch of genuinely iconic characters, many of which would be etched into the annals of horror forever. Charley Brewster helped set the benchmark for the likeable modern horror protagonist. His somewhat overactive imagination and plucky demeanour would resonate through teen slashers for years.

Let’s not forget about Charley’s best friend “Evil” Ed Thompson, though. He’s easily one of my favourite horror characters of all time. Evil is a strange dude who has a seeming obsession with gore and the macabre. It’s a curious fact that actor Stephen Geoffreys did not want to play this role. He does absolutely fantastic, though, and as the movie goes on, the character only gets better as does Geoffreys’ performance.

“Stephen Geoffreys does absolutely fantastic as ‘Evil’ Ed. As the movie goes on, the character only gets better, as does Geoffreys’ performance.”

When it comes to the cast, it’s pretty much a pick’em for who you prefer. British actor Roddy McDowall plays old movie vampire hunter Peter Vincent. Obviously a portmanteau of classic horror actors Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, he mixes things up by portraying the character as a cowardly and reluctant man of dubious ability. It’s a fantastic performance that absolutely elevates the final half of the movie. Chris Sarandon, as vampire Jerry Dandrige, is fantastic. He dials into that very specific sense of alluring and devilish that every good vampire needs. It’s a legitimately menacing performance.

Dracula for the modern age

Holland manages to bring the old horror classic to a modern age while also keeping many of the traditional Dracula themes intact. What’s all the more impressive is that he does it while completely fooling the audience. They never really know that they are watching a traditional vampire story. They just think it’s a modern comedy horror.

We even have facsimiles of characters from the original story of Dracula. We have a Van Helsing, we have a Renfield, we have Mina. The story plays out in a different way but the main characters are all there one way or another. Hell, Jerry can turn into a bat. Sure, it’s apparently a fruit bat as is alluded to by Jerry’s love of apples, but it is a bat nonetheless.

Holland also digs a bit deeper into the homoerotic undertones of the original story which is pretty commendable. The movie subtly alludes to the vampire’s bisexual nature. Holland manages this while never indulging in or ridiculing it – a bold move for 80s mainstream cinema. All in all, Fright Night is a really good example of the timeless nature of horror. It reminds us that fantastic horror stories can transcend countries, language, and even time. Dracula can work for a modern age. It can even work in a boring, middle-American neighbourhood.

Fantastic effects

Fright Night is a wonderful step back to the age of amazing practical effects. Coming off of the production of Ghostbusters, Richard Edlund was responsible for visual effects and what a job he did. Determined to make the actors suffer for their art, they endured hours in the makeup chair. The result is a movie that still looks fantastic even today. From subtle allusions to Jerry’s vampiric nature early in the film, all the way up to full-body transformations, there isn’t a misstep.

Fright Night does a fantastic job of building tension, too. Sarandon is a perfect villain and Jerry’s cold, merciless demeanour is suitably chilling. It really helps that our protagonists feel fairly useless. Charley Brewster is the literal kid next door, completely incapable of dealing with the situation alone. Up against the threat of someone who has very few weaknesses, Charley feels incredibly outmatched. Scenes featuring Jerry effortlessly walking into Charley’s house are so effective. It works to emphasise how outmatched Charley is.

“Fright Night is a wonderful step back to the age of amazing practical effects. From full-body transformations to Jerry’s chilling nature, there isn’t a misstep.”

Obviously it isn’t a scary movie but it feels every part like a full-blown horror. Even when there are plenty of laughs, there is still that feeling of apprehension at what will happen next. Later scenes that actually pit Charley directly against Jerry are genuinely effective. There’s some actually legitimately tragic stuff that takes place later on, as well. It can be weirdly uncompromising in that respect, despite its obvious comedic bent. It’s gripping stuff.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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