LGBTQ+ Pride Month is almost here and Distribution Studios just released a trailer and announced a release date for an LGBTQ+ teen horror movie, So Vam. This darkly comedic vampire film is set to premiere digitally on June 21st.
So Vam has had screenings in film festivals and also marks the debut of director Alice Maio Mackay. So Vam was an award winner at last year’s Salem Horror Fest. Horror Obsessive’s Lor Gislason conducted an interesting and in-depth interview with Mackay.
Collider quotes So Vam’s official synopsis: “Kurt is a high school outcast in a conservative town who dreams of moving to the city to be a famous drag queen. When he is kidnapped by a predatory old vampire and attacked, he is rescued just in time by a gang of rebellious vampires who feed on bigots and abusers. As a vampire, he finally knows empowerment and belonging. However, his killer is still out there, creating new minions with their own rotten hatred and threatening all that he loves. Until Kurt faces the monster, he will never truly be free. But, this time, he need not face it alone.”
Judging by the trailer, So Vam looks like it will pull no punches. It starts with someone I assume is a member of Kurt’s family accepting him and quickly cuts to scenes where Kurt is mercilessly bullied by his peers. They glare at him, send him hateful messages, and he’s beaten up by a group of boys. The scenes flash back and forth between a vampire dressed in a black cowboy outfit, who has a bullying and menacing presence, and who I can only assume is the antagonist. These scenes are intercut with a variety of action-packed fight scenes and scenes with the opposing group of vampires, led by a young woman who clearly wants to empower Kurt.
It looks like So Vam is giving vampirism a fresh and much-needed twist. Mackay is tackling serious issues. However, it looks as if So Vam explores these issues of bullying and acceptance with some dark humor.
So Vam is 16-year-old trans filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay’s directorial debut. Mackay not only served as the director but also co-wrote and produced the film alongside Benjamin Pahl Robinson (Afterimages).
If you’re a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the cast features Drag Race competitor Ben De La Crème. De La Crème has previously appeared in the television series Capitol Hill and the Christmas comedy film Happiest Season.