Directed by Naoki Yoshimoto
Four characters. Solarized black-and-white photography. Subtitles. Dreary, droning musical score. Art film credentials. Are you still with us? Okay, how about vampires? Interested?
Such is the dilemma facing prospective viewers who elect to sit down with Sanguivorous, hailed as Japan’s first avant-garde vampire film. This reviewer wouldn’t put much faith to that claim, as Japan has cranked out tens of thousands of films over the years. It’s hard to say what Sanguivorous is “about,” although it is happily, only “about” an hour long.
According to the official press release, Sanguivorous is about a “young woman suffering from mysterious physical ailments who's horrified to discover that she's descended from generations of vampires. When with her boyfriend, she struggles to control her peculiar appetite. But it's in her blood …”