The Addiction (1995)
A vampiric scholar battles bloodlust amidst philosophical quests. Ideal for dark academia lovers and vampire saga fans.
Genres: Drama, Horror
Cast
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The Addiction(1995)
Overview
A vampiric doctoral student tries to follow the philosophy of a nocturnal comrade and control her thirst for blood.
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Cast
Full Cast & Crew
Lili Taylor
Kathleen Conklin

Christopher Walken
Peina

Annabella Sciorra
Casanova

Edie Falco
Jean

Paul Calderon
Professor

Fredro Starr
Black

Kathryn Erbe
Anthropology Student

Michael Imperioli
Missionary

Jamal Simmons
Black's Friend

Robert W. Castle
Narrator / Priest

Michael A. Fella
Cop

Louis Katz
Doctor

Leroy Johnson
Homeless Victim

Fred Williams
Homeless Victim

Avron Coleman
Cellist

Lisa Casillo
Mary

Frank Aquilino
Delivery Man

Nicholas De Cegli
Cabby

Jay Julien
Dean

Chuck Jeffreys
Bartender
Featured Comments/Tips
Amazing cinematography, urban landscapes in a beautiful monochrome tone, with plenty of contrast and great use of shadows and light. The cast is strong, the performances are great in the dynamics of the movie. The story comes with a different take on vampirism, drawing parallels in a symbolic and philosophical way, here everything is contemplative and more human, bringing the theme into a realistic urban environment.
1995 must have been the year for bold, black and white takes on the vampire genre: first we had _The Addiction_, a few months later, _Nadja_. I'd call this an art film, but since it's not total garbage, I'll say it's an indie drama. Isn't this a vampire movie? Yes, but just barely. We don't get a full-on horror moment until the end. This is a very talky movie. Dialog heavy, and mostly dealing with philosophy for some reason. I get the sense that _The Addiction_ is trying to "say something," but I don't know what that is. What will stick with me about the movie is the beautiful way it was shot; stunning black and white, where every shot could be printed, and framed. Outside of that, it's the performances: Lili Taylor really shines as the lead, as does Walken, who needed to play a larger role in the movie. A very strange soundtrack for a slow vampire movie. I don't know who I'd recommend this to, vampire goths who like rap or art snobs who don't mind a semi-coherent storyline.
Ferrara's philosophical thesis: we are bad.
The build up, her thirst and her exploration into her newfound confusion were far more interesting than what followed with her lust, Christopher Walken'#39;s character, etc. As another user brought up, this gets very pretentious quite quickly, in part due to the nature of her studies also going on but also with how the characters all act, separately and together. I'#39;m glad I saw it, but I doubt I'#39;ll have a want to watch it again in the future.
The Addiction is one of the more thoughtful films about vampirism available today. While the film is incredibly thoughtful, with loads of subtext at every corner, it borders, and sometimes crosses into, pretention. There are times where the narration is attempting to add subtext, but it'#39;s so heavy-handed that the film loses sight of the fact it'#39;s a horror film. I'#39;d argue it'#39;s thought piece first and horror film second, honestly. Maybe that makes it even more frightening. Christopher Walken is wonderful, and Lili Taylor does a fine job, as well. The choice to shoot the film in black and white was a great idea, as well. There'#39;s a real focus placed on the ideas the film is pursuing. Even though the subject of the horror in this film are vampires, the movie is truly describing humanity.
Shot well. It'#39;s just too sluggish.
Featured User Reviews

The Addiction is one of the more thoughtful films about vampirism available today. While the film is incredibly thoughtful, with loads of subtext at every corner, it borders, and sometimes crosses into, pretention. There are times where the narration is attempting to add subtext, but it's so heavy-handed that the film loses sight of the fact it's a horror film. I'd argue it's thought piece first and horror film second, honestly. Maybe that makes it even more frightening. Christopher Walken is wonderful, and Lili Taylor does a fine job, as well. The choice to shoot the film in black and white was a great idea, as well. There's a real focus placed on the ideas the film is pursuing. Even though the subject of the horror in this film are vampires, the movie is truly describing humanity.
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