‘What’s poppin’, y’all?’ 

It’s that time of year again, and if you’re looking for something to punctuate the more hard-edged Halloween fare that might be on your watch-list, you could do worse than check out Vampires vs. The Bronx: a new comedy horror on Netflix.

We kick off with a fun cameo from none other than Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy), playing manicurist Becky who is selling up shop to a company called Murnau (‘subtly’ named after FW who directed Nosferatu, with a logo that’s Vlad the Impaler). It’s part of a plan being put into effect by by Frank Polidori (another name nod, this time to John who wrote ‘The Vampyre’, and played here by Homecoming’s Shea Whigham), the idea being to buy up lots of property in the Bronx.

This doesn’t go unnoticed by some of its residents, however, primarily teen mates Miguel (Jaden Michael), Bobby (Gerald Jones III) and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV), who are on their own mission to save the local bodega, owned by their friend and mentor Tony (Joel ‘The Kid Mero’ Martinez). Quickly waking up to the fact that what’s going on might be a vampire plot, they get the lowdown on how to fight them from the brains of the outfit, Luis – who’s always got his nose in a book – while being showed videos of Blade by Tony.

Realising they’re in over their heads initially, they’re soon joined by Rita (Coco Jones), one of the few people to believe them – ‘I’m Haitian, I’ve grown up with all this kind of stuff!’ But will that be enough to stop a string of nests being created and the neighbourhood overrun?

Vampires vs. the Bronx certainly wears its influences on its sleeve (The Lost Boys, Monster Squad, Attack the Block), but it does so with great affection and reverence. The performances all round are solid, with the kids especially engaging, and Sarah Gadon (from Castle Rock) as Vivian is a particular highlight. Story-wise, it’s nothing new – the metaphor about gentrification is also laid on a bit thickly – and a few of the vampires could do with having more personality, Kiefer-style, but all things considered this is an enjoyable romp and one of those rare feelgood horror movies most of the family will be able to enjoy. Bonus points as well for creative use of a skateboard…

Verdict: ‘How’d ya like that, suckhead?’ 7/10

Paul Kane