No, not the film, but slightly older Channel 4 TV drama from 1998. A six part mini-series about those pesky blood drinkers, classically British, with an excellent cast and extremely dark setting – no witty Joss Wheedon one-liners here. There’s a decent blend of science, action and drama – occasionally crossing the line into techno-babble, maudlin or silly car chases, but for the most part, appropriately scaled for the budget and scope of the show. The writer also directed the entire series (without apparently going crazy), resulting in a very tight, consistent feel – from set design and lighting through to dialogue and cast mannerisms. In this it avoids many of the pitfalls the irritate me about (say) Doctor Who – taking on big-budget ideas and executing on them badly.
Possibly the most interesting aspect is the complete (and deliberate) avoidance of the V-word – quite a feat really.
