I first saw this movie not long after it was released on Netflix a few years ago. When it originally popped up into my queue I avoided it. My reasoning: (insert eye roll) just another vampire apocalypse movie...After a friend recommended it, I decided to give it a try...and found that I really enjoyed it.
When I saw the sequel was released, I decided to re-watch this one again to review and refresh my memory of it. I still rather enjoyed it even after knowing what was going to happen.
Stake Land is set in the future after an outbreak of vampires dominates the world toppling the governments we are familiar with. Hunters roam the planet killing off as many as they can using fangs as payment for food, lodging, liquor, etc in human 'lock up' zones (protective sanctuaries for the remaining human race). The movie follows Martin, a teenage boy saved by a hunter named Mister, and their encounters as they travel north to a rumored safe zone. When they cross paths with the Brotherhood, a zealot religious faction, the unlikely duo are forced to run from humans and vampires alike.
The movie stands as a solid, if not strange, coming of age story line utilizing Martin's narration as the key to pulling the events together. The movie also scores points because it portrays vampires as the beasts of legend and doesn't try to romanticize them. The scenes are consistent with other post apocalyptic movies, but the story is strong enough to pull it off. Plus, the fact that one of the main characters is named after a vampire movie from the '70's is not lost on me. Overall, definitely worth a revisit.