Year of Release: 2021
Director: Adam Randall
Starring: Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Debby Ryan, Lucy Fry, Raul Castillo, Alfie Allen, Marlene Forte, Ash Santos, Bryan Batt, Sydney Sweeney, Megan Fox, Jaren Mitchell, Nandy Martin, Robert Larriviere, CG Lewis, Dane Rhodes
Genre: Action, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Netflix
Synopsis and Review
Another release from Netflix, this time around from director Adam Randall, with whom they've already worked previously, specifically on the film "iBoy". The film focuses its narrative on the young Benny, a college student who also has aspirations of being a DJ. He lives with his brother and grandmother, and finds himself strapped for money. He ends up asking his brother for a favor, and he in return after much deliberation, allows him to work as a chauffeur for the car service he is currently working for. Benny has to play the part of Jay, his brother. That evening he is hired by two young women, Blaire and Zoe, to drive them to several popular Los Angeles nightclubs. Turns out the girls are vampires and they've been tasked by Victor, an ambitious and power hungry vampire, in creating chaos in the city. This chaos is supposed to draw attention to them, while Victor eliminates other elder vampires in the area, who have thrived through the ages. Benny grows closer to Blaire, particularly after he saves her and Zoe from a tricky situation, however he soon realizes his brother Jay is part of a a human council who oversees the maintenance of peace between vampires and humans, and with all that's taking place, that balance is about to be destroyed.
The wave of films focused on vampires continues, as can be checked by the recent releases of this feature and even more recently J.J. Perry's "Day Shift", alongside many others which continue to be released and are about to be released (Thomas Jane and Abigail Breslin star in the upcoming "Slayers", from director K. Asher Levin). In the case of "Night Teeth" the film tries to wear some of Michael Mann's "Collateral" aesthetic/stylistic influences on its sleeve (the way if breezes through the LA nightlife), however the script never allows for anything quite memorable to be registered. The very flat script barely provides much dimension on any of the characters that are showcased, with some of the glorified cameos from the more well known actors, such as Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney, making little sense in the limited time they have available on screen (the same going for Bryan Batt, well known from Christopher Ashley's "Jeffrey" and the acclaimed show "Mad Men"). Alfie Allen, one of the revelations from "Game of Thrones", has very little to do as the main villain of the film (whatever motivation he has for doing what he's doing, is never entirely expanded upon), and while the film attempts to provide some representation for the latino community by making Jay and Benny the central heroes, they themselves are underdeveloped (more even so in Jay's case). It very much feels as a poorly executed direct to video release of the 90s, where ultimately everything is forgettable. Avoid.
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