
HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON
Starring: Sara Montpetit, Félix-Antoine Bénard, and Noémie O'Farrell
Director: Ariane Louis-Seize

QUENTIN

When people talk about discovering hidden gems at film festivals, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is exactly what they are talking about. The most authentically indie-feeling movie at Venice Film Festival last year, Humanist Vampire puts a modern spin on vampire mythology to deliver a fresh, funny, and darkly sweet coming-of-age story that touches on familial pressure, adolescent expectations, teen depression, and young love. In the Q&A that followed my screening, director Ariane Louis-Seize (who won the GdA Director’s Award at Venice) referenced Let the Right One In and Lady Bird as inspirations, and I can’t sum it up any better than that.

NICK

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a new take on a vampire subgenre that is difficult to tackle. This independent feature out of Québec has the gothic whimsy of The Addams Family, plus a ton of heart behind its premise. Sara Montpetit as Sasha gives an engaging performance, particularly excelling in her expression work, maintaining engagement without dialogue. Together, her and Félix-Antoine Bénard (Paul) make for an entertainingly quirky duo. This may not be on a lot of people’s radars, but hopefully, once some good word-of-mouth comes out from the festival circuit, it will rightly be seen by more.

PAIGE

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a witty and gothic-like coming-of-age tale that is quite delightful. This unique twist on vampire lore is definitely something to sink your fangs into, thanks to its brooding atmosphere, the dry sense of humor, and solid performances from its two leads. It may not be a masterpiece due to its predictability, but writer/director Ariane Louis-Seize manages to create a new angle on this subgenre while wonderfully capturing the essence of an awkward teenage romance.
This film was reviewed by Quentin, Nick, and Paige as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and Make Believe Seattle 2024 respectively.