Daydreamers: Vampires in Vietnam

The rules for these vampires will sound familiar. Sunlight and fire are sure ways to kill them. They are also vulnerable to silver, but its best to aim for the heart. Of course, once you are a vampire there is no going back—except Nhat’s faction believes they can change back, through sheer discipline and alternate blood sources. However, his brother Marco’s clan thinks differently and hunts accordingly. They also happen to be the better looking vampires in Timothy Linh Bui’s Daydreamers, which is now playing in very limited theaters.

Nhat “lives” cooperatively with the “House Boat” vampires, led by Vy, who aspires to follow the example of a folkloric monk, who cured his vampirism with a diet of rat blood and will power. According to the legend, it took him more than a few centuries, which leaves plenty of time for Nhat’s fellow vampires to succumb to their hunger.

Marco is the lover of Trieu, the Vampire queen of Ho Chi Minh City. They are definitely vampires in the hedonistic Anne Rice tradition. Nhat’s vampires scrupulously observe the ancient vampire rule: “kill no human,” which Trieu’s vampires corrupted into “leave no witnesses.” Despite their differences, Nhat is initially happy to reconnect with Marco. However, he inadvertently reveals himself to the mortal Ha, during their celebratory clubbing. For Marco and Trieu, this problem is easily solved. However, Nhat becomes Ha’s protector instead.

The basic story, credited to Bui and Doan Si Nguuyen, incorporates a lot of familiar vampire terrain, with amble precedent in the Lestat and Underworld franchises. However, Daydreamers’ vampire backstory, including the undead flight from Europe to Indochina and the legend of the monk, gives it a richer texture. The exotic Vietnamese setting also helps distinguish the film from its legion of competitors. In fact, the tone shares a kinship with some of Joko Anwar’s creepier Indonesian horror films.

Regardless, vampire fans will appreciate the shrewd casting, which delivers the kind of sexy, eternally fit blood-suckers that make the horror sub-genre so popular. Thuan Nguyen displays massive star-power as the tall, dark, and brooding, but slightly unhinged Marco. Likewise, Chi Pu is even more alluring and more conspicuously dangerous as Trieu. Plus, Trang Ngoc Vang nicely expresses the deep sorrow Nhat carries, but obviously, the lusty vampires are much more fun.

There have been a lot of vampire movies, but Bui successfully establishes a unique identity for Daydreamers. Frankly, it is nice to get back to the smooth operating undead after all the Count Orlok-looking vampires we’ve recently seen (like in Voyage of the Demeter, Renfield, and The Vourdalak). Highly recommended for its take on vampires (which is fresh, but still traditional in the right ways), Daydreamers is now in select theaters, before releasing on VOD June 3^rd.