Thrill Fiction: The Moth Diaries [trailer]

Sunday 26 February 2012

The Moth Diaries [trailer]

American Psycho 2000 deserves its reverence and Horrorfolk will revere the deserving. Whereas the film is not horror it is a fine example of crossover appeal (reminiscent of Se7en 1995). It is director Mary Harron’s second film. Her debut feature is I Shot Andy Warhol 1996. These two pictures alone establish her as an auteur more so since she wrote both scripts. Her third movie, The Notorious Betty Paige 2005, was a misstep but not an artistic faux pas.

That is the sum total of her feature cv to date. She has released three films in 16 years because Hollywood rewards box office and ignores the cultural significance of storytelling. That is why McG has directed five pictures in 12 years.

In her first three films Harron has directed Lili Taylor, Christian Bale, Chloë Sevingy, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Willem Dafoe, Gretchen Mol and David Strathairn amongst others. The Moth Diaries 2012 is film number four for Harron. There are no names in this feature perhaps because it is a horror film.

The damage done to the contemporary version of bloodsuckers started with Interview with the Vampire 1994. Television’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) made the demon palatable to young girls. The Twilight movies finished the job. It is time for vampires to horrify humans again.

Whether The Moth Diaries will achieve this or no is speculation based on the trailer. As her name suggests Harron is female and women bring a different sensibility to the genre. Not everyone is Kathryn Bigelow.

Not everyone directed American Psycho.

The Moth Diaries is released 20 April in the US in limited theatres. DVD and VOD dates to be announced. UK dates to be confirmed.

Read more Thrill Fiction: The best horror film of 2012