“Vampires vs. the Bronx,” directed by Oz Rodriguez, was released on Oct. 2 on Netflix. The film follows three teenage boys who must protect their neighborhood in Bronx, New York from invading vampires.

The classic vampire story is one of horror’s oldest genres, making it nigh-impossible to produce an original take on the bloodsucking fiend. However, “Vampires vs. the Bronx” delivers a story that is as funny as it is startlingly true. White vampires invade various properties in the Bronx, like a salon and bodega. They pose as realtors offering the owners more money to move out than it would cost to stay there—before the vampires kill and drink their blood, of course. The horror, naturally, resides in the clear commentary on how the process of gentrification works. 

Throughout the history of the genre, the vampire has represented a variety of symbols—addiction, lust and sexuality, narcissism, the allure of immortality and etc. But in “Vampires vs. the Bronx,” they take on a fresh and humorous persona as pale-skinned monsters threatening to suck the life out of the Bronx neighborhood. Behind the inventive and laugh-out-loud vampire fights is a point on the unequal power dynamics that force people of color out of their communities. 

Led by the witty and determined Miguel “Lil Mayor” Martinez, a group of friends fight the vampires with balloons filled with holy water, Eucharists and wooden stakes carved from broom handles. The film is entertaining with these elements, but I struggled to connect with its execution outside of the larger societal message. The dialogue is dry, the plot progression is slow and predictable and the supporting characters aren’t given backstories complete enough to warrant sympathy. Although the character development felt stifled by the overpowering but important message, the film nonetheless is an interesting interpretation of the classic vampire trope.