Review: ‘Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person’ finds humour in despair
‘Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person’ is a dark comedy about a young vampire who only has fangs for a desperate teenage boy.
The world of vampires evolved from dark and grimy to glamorous and desirable. In fact, most contemporary tales speculate they live among us, undetected and ageless. Of course, their power and beauty comes at a price as they lust primarily for human blood. Some stories have managed to minimize this necessity by supplementing with animals, or relying on criminals or blood banks. But the need for plasma is always present, whether the fiend enjoys it or not. In Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, a young vampire has an aversion to murder that baffles her family and requires certain concessions.
Sasha’s (Sara Montpetit) birthday was meant to be a rite of passage — her first time feeding from a live human victim. But rather than match her family’s bloodlust, she cringes at the thought and feels sorry for the soon-to-be-deceased. Several psychological and medical tests reveal that she may never be able to don her fangs in the service of killing. Her mother is appalled, while her father defends his daughter’s unusual condition. Decades later, Sasha is still being sustained by blood bags procured by her reluctant loved ones who simply cannot let her starve to death. However, Sasha’s chance encounter with Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard) brings about new possibilities for the future — as well as her fangs.
The vampire tortured by their nature is a revisited concept, though this adds a layer of complexity as Sasha’s impacted canines mean she’s physically incapable of biting and feeding on her prey. Naturally, that obstacle hasn’t quelled her hunger, which still demands a red liquid diet since eating anything else could be fatal. The film does an excellent job balancing the narrative’s seriousness with its comedy as Sasha’s unique diagnosis lends itself to humorous interactions with Paul and her family — the former begs her to fulfill his desire for death and the latter pressures her to accept her vampiric nature. Of course, as the title suggests, a suicidal person solves everyone’s problems.
The whole situation with Paul is quite amusing as he’s felt like ending his life for as long as he can remember, but is reluctant to follow through in fear of hurting his loving mother. Yet, he’s been bullied for so long, any new incident is met with quiet acceptance, adding to his list of reasons to no longer exist. But meeting Sasha finally gives Paul options as the end of his life could serve a purpose by extending hers, while she agrees to realize his dying wish and help him exact revenge on his tormentors. What follows is a series of amusing pranks and anticipated flubs as the two draw nearer the inevitable conclusion, which is topped with a logical but still disquieting cherry.
Director: Ariane Louis-Seize
Starring: Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard and Steve Laplante
