VAMPIRES VS. THE BRONX Takes on Gentrification Cloaked By Vampire Lore

A group of young kids find their neighborhood is being overrun by the bloodthirsty undead. They must work together and brush up on their knowledge of vampire lore, to defeat the monsters and save their community. Netflix Original Vampires vs. The Bronx is a refreshing take on vampire lore, using it as a means to highlight the horrors of gentrification.

Starring Jaden Michael, Coco Jones, Gregory Diaz IV, as well as some appearances by Zoe Saldana and Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Vampires vs. The Bronx is a great horror-comedy for the whole family. Supported by a talented group of kids, the film takes vampire lore and utilizes it to highlight a broader, cultural issues.

The best horror movies often use fictional frights as a metaphor for real life horrors; or as a message on society. You could say that taking on gentrification is an easy take, but it has this effortless feel to the story – one that doesn’t preachy or overreaching to get to its message. Just like Buffy the Vampire Slayer used its fanged villains to speak to the horrors of high school, this film tackles its own set of modern day issues.

And speaking of Buffy, this film does its fair share to pay homage to the vampy pop culture icons of past. There is a hysterical montage of the kids learning all about vampires by watching Blade and researching lore. It’s one of my favorite moments from the whole film since it feels so nostalgic and realistic. And perhaps I’m reading too much into, but I couldn’t help but notice the vampire design in this movie was very similar to the vamps that plagued Sunnydale.

I think it’s a nice age-appropriate film to reel in some younger horror fans. I’m always a fan of those films that offer a spooky pond for newcomers to dip their toes into. These “gateway films” were the ones that grabbed me at a young age, so I am always happy to see some produced for this generation.