Dawn

Dawn (2003)

So I recently had the chance to sit down and check out an independent movie form director Jay Reel called Dawn. The movie follows a little girl named Dawn that is half human and half vampire. She travels around feeding on the sick and dying with her father protecting her. Eventually they make their way back to the small town where Dawn’s mother died giving birth to her. The locals, including a psychic that has been tracking them, complicate their life. The psychic has a special link with Dawn and experiences some of what she does. That means he also knows what she is. An added twist is that Dawn’s mother killed the psychic’s mother for the strength to give birth. If that weren’t enough Dawn has started losing her temper and wants to hurt people. Things fall apart rather quickly and the movie wraps up with a surprising ending.

I do love independent movies, but I’m normally really picky about vampire movies. So I had some qualms about reviewing this movie. Mostly because I know that the director Jay Reel is such a nice guy. But I’m glad that I finally did check the movie out. The story is tight and paced very well. Not once did I find what was happening on the screen boring. Quite the opposite was true; I was interested in the characters and invested in their fates. This is important to me because there isn’t that much action here. This movie is more about the characters of Dawn, her father John, and the man chasing them Carlton Reed. If you aren’t interested in them and how they all interconnect with each other then this movie doesn’t work. Luckily I think that the characters are so well fleshed out by the excellent plot and that the cast performances are so good that you can’t avoid getting drawn into what is happening. And of course actually caring as to what happens to them is also what makes the ending powerful.

I did want to touch a bit more on the performances. Ray Boucher does a good job as John, Dawn’s father. Director Jay Reel pulls double duty and portrays Carlton Reed, the psychic that is pursing Dawn. In a lot of ways he is secondary to the characters of Dawn and John, but also goes a long way into determining their fate. The best scene that he has in the movie is when he pulls Dawn into a room and confronts her, only to have her turn the tables on him. Finally I have to say something about the young lady that plays Dawn in the movie. Her name is Kacie Young and she is excellent. Normally the acting in independent movies is sort of rough. Toss a child actor in the mix in a major role and you are just asking for trouble. But this young lady did an amazing job delivering her lines and showing emotion. Over the years I have watched tons of movies, both big studio films and independent movies. There are very few performances that I would rate higher up than the one that Kacie Young gives in Dawn.

The behind the camera and technical stuff is professional and competent. There isn’t much gore, but then this movie is more about character. We do see some blood and it works really well on screen. This is partly due to the decision to shoot the movie in black and white. Unlike other movies that come off a bit “gimmicky” shooting Dawn in black and white fits the mood and theme of the movie. The only other memorable thing with the special effects are how cool the fangs. I’ve seen so many low budget vampire flicks, but the fangs in Dawn are just about as good as you will see anywhere. I reckon that is kind of important in a vampire movie.

This is one of the best independent movies that I’ve ever seen. It is a very serious story with great characters that would have worked with or without the vampire elements. You can get a copy of this movie from most of the big online retailers, or head over to the Tempe website at http://www.tempevideo.com/ where they will gladly sell you a copy. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer