A delicious blend of horror, comedy, romance & coming-of-age drama that's as endearing as it is life-affirming, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is sharp in its humour & sweet in its bite, offers an amusing yet heartfelt look at suicide & depression, and is wonderfully steered by quiet performances & gentle chemistry between its likeable leads.
Co-written & directed by Ariane Louis-Seize in her feature film debut, the story follows a young vampire who's too sensitive to kill until she finds an unlikely solution in a young man with suicidal tendencies. It is a wickedly funny premise that's directed with confidence and establishes the vampiric society among humans with finesse. And the central dilemma only leads to hilarious situations.
The plot hinges on the two soft characters, each broken in their own ways, who discover a new side of themselves through their awkward conversations & strange predicament. And both the actors deliver on that front. Their performance has a gentle touch, melancholic quality & warm tenderness that compels us to invest in them, and they are brilliantly supported by the rest of the cast.
Overall, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person deftly utilises the vampire motif to present a familiar human world in a new light and addresses its delicate themes with a light-hearted flair. The darkly-lit camerawork, steady pace, splendid music & kind-hearted moments only enrich & elevate the experience, while the elegant direction & earnest execution makes it a fantastic debut feature.
