We are the night

The vampire boom has now spread among German filmmakers. "Die Welle" director Dennis Gansel now presents "Wir sind die Nacht", a group of attractive German bloodsucker(s) who should prove to genre fans that Germany can also deliver atmospheric and effective horror.

20-year-old Lena (Karoline Herfurth) spends most of her dreary day on the streets of Berlin, where she repeatedly passes the time with petty thefts. In an illegal nightclub she seems to have hit the jackpot when she manages to wrest a few hundred euros from the seductive club owner Louise (Nina Hoss). What Lena doesn't suspect: the money only served as a lure, because Louise, a centuries-old vampire lady, is completely fascinated by the down-and-out girl and wants to make her one of her own. And indeed, Lena is bitten only a short time later and henceforth belongs to Louise's vampire troupe, which also includes the elegant Charlotte (Jennifer Ulrich) and the wacky Nora (Anna Fischer). While Lena is thrilled that she can now do things that would make even the "Superstar"jury flap their ears. However, she can't handle murdering people - mostly men - to quench the all-dominant thirst for blood. When she then develops feelings for the policeman Tom (Max Riemelt), who had caught her pickpocketing before her transformation, the existence of the vampiresses threatens to be exposed, with fatal consequences...

With the idea for "We are the Night" Dennis Gansel had been pregnant for fourteen years. But it was the success of his film "The Wave" and, of course, the vampire boom triggered by "Twilight" that enabled him to bring his bloodsucker story to the screen. However, he insists that "We Are the Night" is not a German "Twilight" variant. The film clearly wants to distance itself from the romanticization of the vampire myth. Thus, the attractive vampire ladies are also allowed to pursue all the comforts of life and do not have to suffer through the area laden with world-weariness. As Nora sums it up perfectly: "We eat, drink, do coke and screw as much as we want and never get fat, pregnant or addicted. What woman wouldn't want that?"

So admittedly, Louise and Co. have little to do with romantic heroes a la Edward. Rather, Gansel tries to lead the genre in a modern way back to the roots, which lie with "Nosferatu" after all in Germany. The opening credits do full justice to this claim. Accompanied by atmospheric music, the viewer embarks on a time travel through Berlin's city history, with Louise and her playmates always present.

Atmospherically, the film is very successful anyway. The magnificently chosen filming locations play a major role in this. Quasi a bloody declaration of love to Berlin, the film takes place in places like the Tiergartentunnel, the Teufelsberg, where the grand finale takes place, the Stadtbad Lichtenberg or the Tropical Island. The set, costumes and colour scheme also ensure that a very good creepy atmosphere is created time and again. The actresses can also convince, whereby especially Jennifer Ulrich, who like Max Riemelt has already been seen in "Die Welle", comes very close to the image of the classic vampire.

"Wir sind die Nacht" is good thanks to the many successful aspects, but truly not perfect. At times, the party scenes seem a bit strained and exhausting and the finale comes across as arguably rushed. If Gansel takes an extreme amount of time introducing his characters, especially Lena of course, he then lets the final battle come to an end so quickly. Also, the makers seem to be proud of a very special effect, so they use it over and over again, which leads to certain signs of fatigue and also robs the finale in particular of much of its impact.

However, even if the film has some weak points that tarnish the overall picture a little, "We Are the Night" is a pleasant surprise in the currently somewhat overused vampire genre. Atmospheric, stylish, bloody and well-acted, these are the arguments that undoubtedly speak for a visit to the cinema. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp