The Transfiguration (2016) Review – A Gritty and Depressing Urban Vampire Study
The Transfiguration: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A masterfully acted but profoundly bleak reimagining of the vampire myth that trades supernatural glamour for the harsh reality of urban decay. The Transfiguration (2016) succeeds as a character study, anchored by Eric Ruffin’s hauntingly nuanced performance as a lonely, neurodivergent teen. Michael O’Shea’s direction is patient, cultivating a heavy, depressing atmosphere that successfully mirrors its protagonist’s internal isolation. The pacing is occasionally laborious, requiring significant patience as it meanders through its middle act, but the payoff is an exceptionally dark and memorable finale. This 3 star effort is a technical success that functions better as a social drama than a traditional horror.
Details: Director: Michael O’Shea | Cast: Eric Ruffin, Chloë Levine, Aaron Moten | Runtime: 1h 37m | Release Date: 2016
Best for: Fans of slow-burn psychological dramas, those who enjoy “grounded” takes on vampire folklore, and fans of Let The Right One In.
Worth noting: To achieve its gritty look, the film was shot on location in Rockaway, Queens, utilising the real urban landscape to ground its story in a sense of place.
Where to Watch: VOD, Amazon🛒
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(A masterfully acted but narratively derivative drama that utilises vampire tropes to explore the harrowing reality of urban trauma, despite suffering from significant pacing issues and a thin plot.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror and to our review of The Transfiguration (2016).
Highlights
Meet Eli… sorry, Milo
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With this in mind, it is very clear that Michael O’Shea is a huge fan of the fantastic Swedish horror movie Let The Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in). The Transfiguration is less of a nod and more of a wet snog, tongues and all. From similar themes, set pieces and references, right through to blatant nods; The Transfiguration‘s inspiration is very clear.
“The Transfiguration is less of a nod to the fantastic Swedish horror movie Let The Right One In and more of a wet snog, tongues and all.”
Milo (played fantastically by Eric Ruffin) is a lonely outcast who is apparently completely different from the people around him. We are introduced to Milo as he feasts on the blood of someone he has killed in a mall toilet. Bullied by the people in his neighbourhood and school… Milo is an orphan who lives with his older brother in a tower block in a deprived part of the city. Milo has an apparent fascination with vampires. Despite his inability to hold down the blood he ingests, he believes he needs it. After meeting the equally abused Sophie (Chloë Levine), the pair form an unlikely bond that may just lead to catastrophe.
The Transfiguration plays out as almost a facsimile of the aforementioned Let The Right One In. We spend the first half of the film getting to know Milo. This plays out as a drama with a few of the token horror bits that you might expect from a film like this. He’s a sympathetic but twisted character. He’s obsessed with violence and more than willing to kill. His home life is awkward and it makes for, frankly, depressing viewing. It’s fairly compelling but extremely familiar.
A meeting of tormented minds
It’s not until he meets a fellow lost soul in the form of Sophie that the story opens up. Even then, it maintains the same depressing tone only with the addition of a coming-of-age romantic side-story. Sophie is a seemingly abused girl, equally as displaced as Milo and equally at odds with the world but sharing little else in common.
The two develop an unlikely friendship which blossoms into much more before being challenged by Milo’s secret life and twisted desires. Sophie, despite her complicated life, doesn’t share in Milo’s bloodlust and initially seemed to view some of his earlier eccentricities as just that, fairly innocent. It’s not until he believes he can share more with her that she starts becoming concerned. This fractures their relationship somewhat and leaves Milo even angrier at the world.
“Eric Ruffin portrays Milo superbly in a fascinating, believable, and truly nuanced performance, capturing the character’s neurodivergent traits.”
What follows is a sometimes confused, sometimes tiring, but often fascinating trip to one of the more brilliant final acts that I have seen in quite awhile. The Transfiguration is incredibly dark and it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s a troubling portrayal of neurodivergent teens, as well, if I am being honest. It’s weirdly compelling, though. Those expecting an almost romantic conclusion may be shocked at the direction this movie goes in. It abandons its nods to Let The Right One In and goes seriously dark. Speaking of which…
Not for the faint of heart
The Transfiguration is pretty graphic at times. It is also full of controversial subject matter as it really goes out of its way to shock. A vicious character that lacks any solid motive committing heinous acts to innocent victims is nothing new but it feels a little forced at times. There’s a lot of pointless narrative detours and they are there purely to add a little shock value to the plot.
There are scenes where Milo is watching videos of animal cruelty and scenes from slaughterhouses that I felt many would find to be particularly uncomfortable viewing. I am fairly certain this is real footage as it all looked like old stock news stuff. The director’s desire to shock the viewer with some actual real violence feels cheap. It does little to expand on the character of Milo.
On the flip side The Transfiguration features no nudity or sex. I always find this to be a funny quirk of American horror nowadays. Horrific violence is fine but a nipple is completely unacceptable. It’s so weird, I’m not sure at how you draw the line there.
A few pacing issues
This is a point that I would underline when taking notes. The Transfiguration, at times, drags itself along with absolutely no urgency. There are scenes that go nowhere, scenes that don’t need to be in the film, redundant detours that add nothing, and a desire to stand and smell the flowers that sometimes leaves you wishing something would happen.
“The Transfiguration is a drama film in horror clothing. It is an engaging movie, though it sometimes drags itself along with absolutely no urgency.”
The Transfiguration likes to bask in the world it has created despite it being an ugly place with no real reason to. Overall it doesn’t take much away from the final product. It is still an engaging movie but I found myself wondering whether a shorter final cut may have been better.
It is a laborious 95+ minutes and the way some of the events from the middle tie into the events in the finale feel like more of a coincidence than a deliberate choice. Part of this is due to Milo’s actions sometimes being completely nonsensical and part of it is down to the length of time between events.
Fantastic performances
Milo is played by Eric Ruffin who does an absolutely fantastic job. He is, in my opinion from my own personal experience with a family member, likely intended to be somewhere on the high end of the Autism spectrum. Eric Ruffin portrays this superbly in a fascinating, believable, and truly nuanced performance.
Sophie, played by Chloë Levine, has a somewhat unique take on the rebel girl next door formula. She is believably troubled, often looks completely dishevelled, and is a nice counter to Milo’s quiet persona. I feel like her character was lacking much of the nuance that made Milo compelling, however.
Sophie is almost “by the numbers” compared to Milo and there is very little depth to her. Like many of the side-characters in The Transfiguration, Sophie is used to build on Milo’s story without too much of her own story spilling over. Still, Chloë Levine does a fine job.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Eric Ruffin: Delivers a truly standout, nuanced performance that captures the complexity of a neurodivergent teen trapped in a cycle of trauma.
- Grounded Atmosphere: The film successfully ditches the supernatural fluff for a gritty, realistic urban setting that feels lived-in and oppressive.
- Strong Final Act: The movie abandons its homages in the finale to deliver a dark and genuinely shocking conclusion that lingers.
The Bad
- Laborious Pacing: The film frequently stalls, lingering on mundane events that add little to the character development or narrative momentum.
- Lack of Originality: The over-reliance on nods to Let The Right One In can make the film feel more like a cover version than a unique project.
- Thin Side Characters: Characters like Sophie are written as somewhat “by the numbers,” lacking the depth that makes Milo so compelling.
The Ugly: The Real Footage. The inclusion of genuine animal cruelty and slaughterhouse clips feels like a cheap, unnecessary attempt at shock value.
Should You Watch The Transfiguration?
Yes, especially if you appreciate the technical craft of slow-burn cinema. It is a 3 star film that serves as a solid reminder of how folklore can be adapted to explore modern social issues. If you value strong acting—particularly from Ruffin—and don’t mind a very slow pace, there is much to admire here. However, if you are looking for a traditional horror movie with jump-scares and fangs, you will likely find this incredibly boring. It is an intelligent, technical curiosity that works best as a depressing character study. It is a solid, albeit derivative, watch.
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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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