Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
Kiss of the Damned
A cool and contemporary take on the vampire myth, steeped in atmosphere and brooding contemplation.
Horror 2012 95 mins
Director: Xan Cassavetes
Overview
Two estranged vampire sisters, one good and one bad, are unexpectedly reunited at a remote summer estate in Connecticut. The virtuous Djuna is determined to follow an honourable path, refusing to feed off the blood of innocent human prey. When a new love arrives, insisting he join Djuna for eternity as one of the undead, a happy future appears to lie ahead. However, Mimi, a rebellious succubus with a bad attitude, has other plans, and attempts to bring chaos and destruction to her sister’s quiet life.
Like Claire Denis’ Trouble Every Day, Xan Cassavetes’ cool and contemporary take on the vampire myth presents a distinctly existential vision of the afterlife, steeped in atmosphere and brooding contemplation. Often solemn in approach, there is also much fun to be had here, particularly in the playful eroticism that brings to mind the work of cult favourite Jean Rollin or the saucy output of 1970s Hammer.
Contains strong sex and gory horrorAccessibility
Related
Horror
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Horror 2014 101 mins Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
If you only see one Iranian vampire western this year, make sure it’s this one. A female vampire stalks a ghost town in Ana Lily Amirpour’s arresting debut.
Antichrist Antichrist
Horror 2009 104 mins Director: Lars von Trier
After tragedy strikes, a couple retreat to a cabin in the woods in order to grieve. However, they find things go from bad to worse, in this brutal interrogation of nature from Lars von Trier.
Nosferatu the Vampyre Nosferatu the Vampyre
Horror 1979 107 mins Director: Werner Herzog
English language version of Herzog’s stimulating take on the Dracula story starring Klaus Kinski, with echoes of Murnau’s 1922 Nosferatu.
What We Do in the Shadows What We Do in the Shadows
Comedy 2014 86 mins Director: Taika Waititi
An achingly funny mockumentary about New Zealand’s hitherto unknown vampire (and werewolf) communities, from the creators of Flight of the Conchords.
Personal Shopper Personal Shopper
Drama 2016 106 mins Director: Olivier Assayas
Kristen Stewart reunites with Olivier Assayas to play an A-List celebrity's personal shopper, who keeps receiving strange text messages from an unknown source.
Bone Tomahawk Bone Tomahawk
Western 2015 132 mins Director: S. Craig Zahler
Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson star in this gripping western-horror hybrid.
BFI London Film Festival
A Bigger Splash A Bigger Splash
Thriller 2015 125 mins Director: Luca Guadagnino
Ralph Fiennes delivers a sensational performance as one of four passionate souls sharing a villa in the Sicilian sunshine, with jealousy, intrigue and violence simmering beneath the surface.
System Crasher System Crasher
Drama 2019 120 mins Director: Nora Fingscheidt
An intensive drama about a pre-pubescent girl who actually crashes Germany’s child and welfare system whilst on her quest for love and security.
Little Joe Little Joe
Science Fiction 2019 105 mins Director: Jessica Hausner
Jessica Hausner’s cool, witty and unsettling sci-fi starring Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw.
Mogul Mowgli Mogul Mowgli
Drama 2020 89 mins Director: Bassam Tariq
Bassam Tariq’s visceral directorial debut, co-written with Riz Ahmed, finds a British-Pakistani rapper’s life spiralling out of control when, on the cusp of success, he succumbs to a debilitating illness.
Lucky Grandma Lucky Grandma
Comedy 2019 87 mins Director: Sasie Sealy
A crafty Coen-esque black comedy about an elderly widow who inadvertently steals from the Chinese mob and subsequently takes on the gangs to secure her fortune.
Personal Shopper Personal Shopper
Drama 2016 106 mins Director: Olivier Assayas
Kristen Stewart reunites with Olivier Assayas to play an A-List celebrity's personal shopper, who keeps receiving strange text messages from an unknown source.
New
The Mourning Forest The Mourning Forest
Drama 2007 97 mins Director: Naomi Kawase
A beautiful and contemplative portrait of grief from Cannes-winning filmmaker Naomi Kawase (Sweet Bean, Still the Water).
La Noche La Noche
Drama 2016 141 mins Director: Edgardo Castro
A gritty journey through the sexual underbelly of Buenos Aires, with graphic depictions of the highs and lows in one man’s quest for intimacy.
Sympathy for the Devil Sympathy for the Devil
Drama 1968 101 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard intercuts footage of The Rolling Stones composing their classic Sympathy for the Devil with punchy agitprop sketches on the global anti-imperialist struggle.
Archipelago Archipelago
Drama 2010 109 mins Director: Joanna Hogg
Starring Tom Hiddleston, a family holiday to the Isles of Scilly sees fractures emerge in this sun-filled drama from Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir).
Exhibition Exhibition
Drama 2013 105 mins Director: Joanna Hogg
Joanna Hogg's sleek and minimalist comedy about a pair of artists and their emotional attachment to their ultra-modernist apartment.
Saviour Square Saviour Square
Drama 2006 105 mins Director: Krzysztof Krauze
Timely slice of social realism following a family forced to stay in a cramped relative's flat and the eruption of tensions that ensue.