Movie Review - Vampires Vs. the Bronx

This is another film in a recent trend I've noticed. There's been a trend of science-fiction or fantasy films featuring people of color, such as African-Americans and Latinos, specifically young African-Americans and Latinos in the lead role. The trend didn't perhaps start until Attack the Block (2011), which was an independent, British flick. An independent, American flick called Sleight (2017) was another such example, but it wasn't until A Wrinkle in Time (2018) that the trend became a more mainstream one. Since then, we've seen more mainstream hits like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019). Over the past year, Netflix has really run with this trend more than anyone else. As such, Netflix has given us See You Yesterday (2019), The Old Guard (2020) and Project Power (2020). Now, this one is another to add to the growing list.

Directed and co-written by Emmy-winner Oz Rodriguez (Saturday Night Live and A.P. Bio), the film is a metaphor for how gentrification is affecting communities of color. That metaphor is that gentrification is bleeding those communities dry. What's the best metaphor for a bloodsucker, particularly in horror films? It's that of the vampire. This film in fact references Blade (1998), which is about a black man or a person of color fighting vampires. In the infrequent times that vampires and people of color have been merged, such as Blacula (1972), or, A Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), or even Spike Lee's Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2014), they've been more about romantizing vampires or emphasizing things like love and lust. As a film targeted more toward children, love and lust aren't really emphasized. This film is more in line with something like The Goonies (1985), or something like Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1997).

Jaden Michael (Blue Bloods and The Get Down) stars as Miguel, a teenager of Dominican descent, living in the Bronx, New York. He's probably 13 or 14. He has two friends with whom he hangs out. He's interested in an older girl, but otherwise he likes to ride his bike through the streets. Strangely, his favorite place to visit and hang out is a bodega or convenience store. He cares about the bodega because he likes the guy who owns and runs it. It seems like the bodega owner is a relative of Miguel, like an uncle or something. Yet, that relationship is never made clear.

Miguel's main motivation is saving said bodega from the gentrification that is occurring in his neighborhood. There is a real estate developer owned and run by white people. That developer is buying up properties in the Bronx, particularly businesses owned by people of color. The purpose is to replace those businesses with ones that are owned by white folks. Miguel as others feels this gentrification is destroying the culture and community of the Bronx. Recent titles about gentrification on Netflix include Residue about Washington, DC, and Gentefied about Los Angeles. Here, it's all about the Bronx.

Joel Martinez aka The Kid Mero (Desus & Mero and Guy Code) co-stars as Tony, the owner of the aforementioned bodega. He's the comic relief and one of the many adults who are there to disbelieve Miguel when he claims vampires are in the borough. He's probably in the film as much as is necessary. He's probably not the best actor either, but a little bit more about the relationship between Tony and Miguel would have been appreciated. As stated before, it's not even clear if Tony is of blood relation to Miguel. It's assumed that he must be an uncle or something.

While the film nails the metaphor about gentrification, it doesn't nail the interpersonal relationships. Not only is it lacking between Miguel and Tony, there's a bit lacking between Miguel and his other two friends. Gerald Jones III (Blue Bloods and The Get Down) plays Bobby, the black teen whose mother worries he's going to be recruited into a drug gang or that of the local drug dealer. Gregory Diaz IV (In the Heights and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) plays Luis, the Puerto Rican teen who's the nerdy skateboarder. Both Jones and Diaz are terrific young actors who give such personality and breath to the characters they play, even as limited as they are.

Of course, there are thrilling moments and scenes of gore. Yet, it's nothing more thrilling or gory than anything in Stranger Things, which set the bar for horror adventures involving teens or children. I would even argue that the recent Fright Night (2011) is more engaging and entertaining than this, but if you want a tale like this that speaks to the lack of diversity and representation of children of color, then this film is an okay time.

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and some suggestive references.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 26 mins.

Available on Netflix.