.

Vampires have long been a popular monster of fiction. Bela Lugosi had a generation of teenage boys sneaking up behind girls, whispering “I vant to suck your blood.” Anne Rice gave us the romantic vampires of her series, The Vampire Chronicles. And most recently, audiences have flocked to the sparkling blood drinkers of the Twilight franchise. But there’s always someone willing to break away from the current accepted trends, creating something that appears original in a sea of the same. Toronto After Dark previously brought audiences the Swedish film adaptation, Let the Right One In; this year, they bring more fresh blood with Midnight Son.

Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a relatively boring guy. He works nights as a building security guard, paints sunsets in his free time and doesn’t have many friends. But all that begins to change after he meets Mary (Maya Parish). He begins to act strange, experience a weird aversion to sunlight and feel a hunger he cannot seem to satisfy. Still in denial of his new nature, Jacob attempts to control his affliction, but his success rate is less than stellar and people around him are dying… then coming back to life. Jacob needs to get a handle on the situation fast before he loses complete control and the person that matters to him most.

To say this is an anti-Twilight film wouldn’t be wholly accurate as the love story creates many commonalities (though the name is purely coincidental). However, Midnight Son is a bit darker and more grounded in reality than its trendy counterpart, making it relatable as well. Jacob is forced to deal with some very practical issues that arise when one discovers he is a vampire, such as how to feed without attacking people or how to control your accidental vampire offspring. He also struggles with the loneliness of his condition and the necessity to protect Mary from himself. It’s simple to imagine oneself in a similar predicament.

The origin of Jacob’s affliction is never addressed; like a disease, he simply begins to show symptoms one day. However, writer/director Scott Leberecht remains true to most of the more common vampire lore: Jacob requires fresh blood; sunlight burns his flesh; and fire can destroy him. The ease with which he can infect others is not new, but it is quite inconvenient. There’s also a fair amount of blood, but it never becomes truly gory.

The conclusion is satisfying, though it may be impractical for the characters in the long run. Nonetheless, it’s as close to a happy ending the film could have.