This Hidden, 80% Contemporary Horror Gem Brings Dracula Again to The place He Belongs

March 15, 2025

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Vampire films have had a resurgence lately, spanning throughout all types of genres. What We Do within the Shadows proved vampire comedies had been a viable possibility 10 years in the past, and movies like Renfield and Vampires vs The Bronx have adopted go well with. Vampires returned to comedian ebook films with final yr’s Deadpool & Wolverine, and we’ve even seen total movies set round one part of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, like The Final Voyage of the Demeter. Maybe Nosferatu is essentially the most memorable fashionable vampire film, as soon as once more retelling Stoker’s authentic story, with a Germanic-gothic spin from Robert Eggers. Wherever vampire movies could be discovered, Dracula isn’t far behind. However a forgotten 2018 film put an authentic new spin on Dracula by no means earlier than seen in any movie, and if its 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating is something to go by, it is price testing.

‘The Boys From County Hell’ Is a Hilarious Vampire-Flick You Received’t Need To Miss

The cast of Boys from County Hell standing in front of a tractor — Picture By way of Shudder

The Boys From County Hell is a vampire comedy set in rural County Derry, Eire. Uninterested in small-town life, a pair of nation bumpkins drunkenly stumble throughout a neighborhood vacationer web site, an historical Celtic headstone, and unleash the wrath of a lethal creature that dwells beneath. Native building staff try to take away the stone for a brand new renovation, which results in a harmful vampire wreaking havoc in town. The vampire is called Abhartach. Abhartach was an historical Celtic Chieftan and a tyrant who frequently rose from the grave and demanded blood choices to return to his true power.

The movie dispels the frequent false impression that Dracula was solely primarily based on the Wallachian King Vlad Tepesh III, citing Bram Stoker’s Irish id and love of Celtic mythology as the actual motive. To be clear, Stoker probably took some inspiration from Tepesh when crafting his character, however Abhartach would’ve undoubtedly been essentially the most outstanding vampiric determine he would pay attention to throughout his lifetime. As an alternative of following the everyday tropes of vampire fiction, Abhartach’s powers are instantly linked to his headstone, and he can solely be defeated by returning him to his tomb with the right burial strategies.

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For a bloody good time.

The latest Nosferatu remake stands out from its predecessors by integrating outdated Hungarian and Germanic lore into the supply materials, leading to a definite gothic horror that deviates from the style tropes and settings. The Boys From County Hell is not any completely different. Although its tone and light-hearted humor make it a totally completely different viewing expertise from a standard vampire horror. The movie embraces its cultural roots and stays trustworthy to Celtic mythology and modern-day rural Eire.

A Story That Strikes on the Coronary heart of Eire

Regardless of its horror trappings, The Boys From County Hell’s core story is about relationships between generations. The movie is horrifying in sections, however the actual concern lies within the grief of dropping family members, and the way it strains relationships. The protagonist, Eugene (Jack Moffat), struggles to restore his relationship along with his stereotypically stoic Irish father, Francie (Nigel O’Neil), after the latest lack of his mom. Francie pushes Eugene to work for him in building to try to keep near his son, however Eugene needs to depart his sheltered life and uncover what the world has to supply. Like many gothic horrors, relationships are sometimes extra vital than the monster. Eugene is aided by his good friend, SP (Michael Hough) who stands out because the funniest character, and Claire, performed by Derry Women‘ Louise Harland.

The core relationship displays a typical rigidity in rural Eire, the place the older era can’t perceive why younger folks search a profession past trustworthy, laborious, handbook labor. However the movie additionally makes use of this rigidity as a supply of comedy, maintaining a working joke about how an historical vampire is not any match for the hardy, no-nonsense nation folks of Eire. Regardless of its excessive overview scores, The Boys From County Hell has largely gone underneath the radar. The movie’s director, Chris Baugh, has a brief however spectacular filmography. His earlier movie, Dangerous Day for the Reduce, is a typical revenge thriller, although it stands out resulting from its setting in a grounded, rural Irish group. Baugh has a knack for retelling basic tales set towards the backdrop of his childhood, providing a recent tackle tales which have been retold numerous instances.

The Boys From County Hell gives up a hilarious slice of life in rural Eire, displaying the relatable tensions that come up between generations, as hard-working dad and mom scold their unambitious youngsters as they wrestle to develop into maturity. The movie’s tonal conflict between grounded comedy and larger-than-life horror hits the identical candy spot as What We Do within the Shadows but additionally crafts an authentic tackle the consistently retold story of Dracula, just like Nosferatu.