A battle against the last colony of vampires…

I’ve never been one for vampires. Bloodsucking aside, all that camp gothic pseudo-eroticism leaves me entirely cold. Yes, I know that is precisely why the rest of the world enjoys vampiric drama more than I do, but there, I’ve said it. Plus, all that watery fake blood, it just makes me want to brush my teeth.

So it was, I approached AMC+’s new vampire drama, Firebite, with a certain degree of weary trepidation. However… on the basis of this season opener, Warwick Thornton’s fresh take on vampire mythology certainly isn’t gothic, there’s not a hint of camp, and it’s about as erotic as a brick in the face.

I absolutely loved it.

The world Thornton takes us to is that of the dusty Opal fields north of Adelaide, and the First Nation communities living in the area. Thornton himself is from the Kaytetye people around Alice Springs and has refashioned the vampire story as an allegory for the legacy of European colonialism, still sucking resources and opportunities from indigenous Australians to this very day.  On paper that might look like a heavy-handed metaphor, but with the action centring on Tyson Walker (played with Mad Max conviction by an excellent Rob Collins) juggling vampiric ‘pest control’ with care for his feisty ward, Shanika (also punchily played by Adnyamathanha actress, Shantae Barnes-Cowan) there’s plenty of story for us to get our teeth into – so to speak.

On the one hand, Shanika is struggling at school against culturally insensitive teachers and racist classmates – on the other, the opal tunnels are full of ‘suckers’. What’s a vampire hunter to do?

The dusty production turns your throat to parched leather, and stings your nostrils with the smell of burning engine oil. It’s a fantastical premise boldly located in a grittily believable modern world.

Verdict: I’m holding my breath – I’ve had some crushing disappointments recently, from series that started with a bang but fizzled to nothing – but from this first episode I’m genuinely excited to see where Warwick Thornton takes us. I hope it stays as funny, sassy, immersive and angry as this season opener. 8/10

Martin Jameson