"“An indie romance caught up in the middle of a low-budget horror movie...”"

Unfortunately for director Scott Leberecht, his vampire drama Midnight Son is entering into a market whereby a certain Twilight franchise takes precedence, and the first-time filmmaker may have a tough time marketing his new title given the unholy amount of Twihards living amongst us. However unlike Twilight, Midnight Son is a low-budget flick and must therefore be judged within the same, humble means in which it was created - yet the biggest fault to this title is the only aspect where budget holds no relevance: the narrative.

Jacob (Zak Kilberg) suffers from a rare skin condition, whereby his skin burns when exposed to sunlight. Confined to a life of isolation as a result, he works night shifts as a security guard, while at home he is a talented artist. His life soon changes when he meets Mary (Maya Parish), a local barmaid with whom he falls in love, but their relationship heads down an unsavoury path when Jacob takes a liking for human blood, finding himself unwillingly addicted to it, as it provides the weak youngster with some much needed nourishment. Ashamed of his latest affliction, Jacob finds a back-alley blood dealer in hospital nurse Marcus (Jo D. Jonz). However, as he falls deeper into his addiction, he finds himself connected to a series of brutal murders.

There is certainly an eerie atmosphere that emanates from this title, enhanced by the fact it's a low-budget production. Feeling almost like a student project, it provides the film with a seedy, dark ambiance which works well in line with the narrative. This feeling is enhanced by Kilberg, who has a creepy demeanour, and is physically rather timid and vulnerable, suiting the role of Jacob perfectly. He has this fiendishness to him as well, as he sips on the packets of hospital blood as though he's enjoying a Capri-Sun on a hot summer's day.

Although not being your conventional horror movie, the scenes when Jacob is drinking blood certainly make you feel squeamish, yet avoid feeling overstated or predictably gory. It's more subtle, and just seeing the blood on his lips makes you feel uncomfortable. It's not in your face. It's on his, but that's beside the point.

Leberecht does a decent job in succinctly portraying one mans battle with addiction, yet the biggest issue to Midnight Son is the story is how the director attempts far too much during the latter stages of the production. Up until halfway through Midnight Son appears as a chilling, unique experience for the viewer, but by the time the final credits roll, you feel as though you've seen nothing new whatsoever. The initial premise is okay, a twisted, supposedly more naturalistic take on the whole vampire story we've heard a million times before, but then they bring in police detectives, and gangsters, and guns – and it all goes terribly downhill from there. Stay simplistic, man.

Midnight Son suffers from not knowing exactly what film it's hoping to be, as an indie romance caught up in the middle of a low-budget horror movie. Think of it like Twilight aimed at a more male orientated audience. Well, men with bad taste in films anyway.