Dawn (2003) User Reviews

Good Little Indie

[pokewowplayer1 · 6/10 · 18 October 2003]

The first thing that struck me about DAWN was it's originality. Writer/Director Jay Reel crafted a smart tale about a father and daughter who, on the surface, seem normal, but are having to deal with a dark secret. It's a story of a man drifting throughout the land in search of food for his vampiric daughter, and of a young girl coming to grips with her ability and her curse.

The movie does show it's small budget in the fact that some of the performances were stiff, and it was obvious that the most of the actors were friends and aquaintances of the filmmaker.

But to me the story wins out over this. DAWN has a good story, and it's worth a look if you get a chance.

Nick

Dawn

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 11 February 2007]

Little, no-budget film that looks like it was filmed with a cam-corder and cost about $0.12. But, it has more going for it than most over-bloated Hollywood Asian remakes being churned out ad-nauseum.

I think why I liked it was because the story really gripped me. I will say that the flick is made with non-actors in black&white photography. But, director Jay Reel(who portrays the psychic detective seeking the vampire)expertly edits the film to optimum effect despite having little money. This film is inspired and ambitious..a rare quality that I felt in every frame of the movie.

The plot is simple enough, but works..Dawn is a 9 year old girl with an insatiable thirst for blood. Her mother was a "vampire"(more on why I have this in quotes in a second)and died giving birth to her. Dawn's father(Ray Boucher)and her are nomadic, journeying all over the midwest hardly ever staying anywhere too long because she feasts on the sick and elderly. Unlike many films which would try to make this some sort of sordid comedy, the film plays this straight. She's a girl who doesn't wish to crave human blood, longs for the company of children and school..she simply wishes to be normal. That is what drew me.

Now, explaining just a small bit on the type of vamp Dawn is. She only craves blood, can not eat anything we eat(food is poisonous to them), and can sense suffering and pain which allows them to find those who are near dying(..or living their final stage of life on earth).

But, their mistake will be Dawn wishing to see where her mother was buried..to visit a past town that will also have the psychic chasing them.

Magnificent.

[Talbot-Haynes · 15 September 2003]

This is the best independant movie I've seen in nearly a decade. Dawn is proof that great maverick filmmakers do exist and can produce great filmwork outside the coastal machines. It also shows up all the Hollywood "True Gritty" films where overpaid movie and TV actors pretend to be small town dwellers; the casting of real people to represent their communities gives Dawn an unimitatable realism. It is also one of the most thoughtful vampire film ever made.

To classify Dawn as a horror movie would be a mistake, though as a horror movie it's very good. This is a return to the purest elements of the Film Noir while employing a vampire metaphor. The film belongs in the same catagory as Fritz Lang's You Only Live Once and Nicholas Ray's They Live By Night, with an outlaw couple on the run for nothing else than who they are. Haunting black and white photography enforces the bleakness of having to run and hide from the world while always remaining in sight. The viewer is shown an emotional landscape filled with alienation from a life constantly desired, as well as the bonds that can be forged despite how grisley the circumstances can get.

Acting is a VERY important part of a movie.

[Pippinn · 3/10 · 28 August 2009]

I love vampire movies - I love indie movies - I love low budget movies..........

This movie had an original and interesting premise - but why oh why could they have not gone the little extra effort to cast one person that could actually act in the slightest bit.

Every line of dialog was delivered worse than the line before - The psychic guy was laughable at every turn. Impossible to take seriously in the least.

The little girl was passable - she was the only thing that made this movie worth watching........and even that was a stretch.

Again, the story was slightly interesting (but would have worked so much better as a short film instead of a drawn out feature) and indeed an original take on a familiar theme, but I only kept it on to see how the hell they could possibly wrap this up.

It's a shame they did not even try to get people who could deliver one line of the simple script convincingly. When given a tight budget, as this obviously was - DO NOT SCRIMP ON THE TALENT!! Not bad directing and very nice cinematography and camera work.

Greatness!

[steve-sigrist · 10/10 · 27 August 2003]

Movies dealing with psychological themes and the consequences of personality and physical anomalies are numerous, some of them good in their portrayal of the real suffering of the mentally ill, but many of them bad in that they play upon conventional stereotypes that are trite in their screen presentation. Dawn confronts prevailing notions about how you would respond if you or someone you were close to had seriously dysfunctional physical needs.

The film's implication about the challenges and obstacles encountered in keeping up appearances and blending into the social order is refreshingly appealing to those who normally would not be interested in a vampire flick.

The character portrayal is excellent and the intermittent humor creates an enjoyable and tranquil viewing experience. Find a way to see this film. I will not be surprised to see this story duplicated by a major studio - the storyline is too creative to be ignored. Writer and Director Jay Reel has created a geniune treat in this picture. Mark my words - you'll see great things from his future efforts.

Originality Beats Corporate Knuckleheads

[hypnagogic99 · 10/10 · 1 October 2006]

It's a wacky world. Writer/director Jay Reel pulled together all his resources and little money to make "Dawn," a twist on the twist of vampire movies. The concept is refreshing and original (I'm assuming you know the story by now) - this is the backbone to the movie that carries it to the very end. If corporate filmmakers made this movie, they'd no doubt receive critical praise and success. Who cares about them. Reel has made a movie that never gets made in the mainstream, much like other Texas filmmakers in the past: Eagle Pennell (Last Night at the Alamo) and Andy Anderson (Learning Curve). Very few micro-budgeted films ever have such originality and an introspective approach to the storytelling. Dawn stands out from other's in it's low-budget category in a major way. Reel should have no problem securing funds for another effort based on the success of this one. Hats off to you.

A Great Movie

[xperyance · 9/10 · 16 February 2004]

I watched the movie without even taking a pee break. The story line was very interesting. I enjoyed it very much. Great work Jay. Best of luck in your future movies. And when you are called to receive your first grammy, I will stand beside you. Thanks.