Near Dark 1987

Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times: There's a ghastly humor in all this, and Bigelow brings it out without overindulging it. Faced with a nearly repulsive subject, she makes the blood flow inside it, stream out over the cuts. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Long after the picture ends, you're left with potent half-images: strong-but-vague impressions that resemble the remains of dreams. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: You might call this the scattershot school of film making. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: This is on the whole a striking directorial debut, at once scary and erotic, with lots of sidelong touches in the casting, direction, and script. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: Near Dark has filmmaking finesse to spare, but puts its dank characters on display rather than cadging sympathy for them. It is the Blue Velvet of date-night spook shows. Read more

Nigel Floyd, Time Out: A subtle study in the seductiveness of evil and a terrifying ride to the edge of darkness. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: High-powered but pared down, slick but spare, this is a tale that introduces the unearthly into the banality of rural American existence. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: Bigelow has cross-bred vampire legends, westerns and biker movies to arrive at a combination that's both outrageous and poetic; it has extravagant, bloody thrills plus something else -- something that comes close to genuine emotion. Read more