'Fright Night': What Critics Say

Fright Night, opening Friday, is a remake of an ‘80s vampire horror film about a young man (Anton Yelchin) who suspects that his mysterious next door neighbor (Colin Farrell) is actually a vampire.

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The praise for Fright Night from critics was often about location, location, location. The decision to move the remake to Las Vegas helped explain a lot the questionable actions of the main character, Jerry (Farrell), such as why his windows were blacked out because many Las Vegas residents work at night, and sleep during the day.

Critics also praised Farrell as the vampire neighbor, and mentioned the added humor as a positive addition.

The Hollywood Reporter film critic Todd McCarthy wrote, “A steady supply of spiky humor and a game cast keep this cooking most of the way, though the pacing could have been tighter and the film seems as if it’s about to end two or three times before it actually does.”

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McCarthy had favorable things to say about Farrell. “Farrell doesn’t have to work hard at it but is both charismatic and quite humorous as the irresistible and ever-resourceful bloodsucker.

“This new version stays true to its origins by having a bit of cheeky fun, and the way it contemporizes the story is really rather clever,” wrote the AP’s Christy Lemire.

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“It all works well enough that it makes you wish it weren't in 3-D,” she continued, explaining that the 3D “adds a suffocating layer of dimness, as it is wont to do. That doesn't exactly help engage us given that so much of the film takes place in the dark, at night.

“As vampire movies go, Fright Night is a pretty good one,” wrote Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times. “The movie has competent acting by the principals, who make an effort to surpass the generic requirements of their characters.”

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“There’s a quirky sensibility that we might attribute to director Craig Gillespie, who gave us the gently twisted Lars and the Real Girl,” wrote Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel.

“Fright Night can also boast of having the best vampire-villain in ages. The bushy-browed Colin Farrell was BORN to wear fangs.”

“Perhaps the most special effect of all is Farrell,” he continued. “Pardon the pun, but he chews this movie up.”