‘Priest’ Is A Hidden Gem For The Vampire Fan
by Tito W. James
In a dystopian future ruled by religious authority, a warrior priest ventures into an desert wasteland to save a young girl from a hive of vampires. Priest is a vampire film that seamlessly blends the genres of western, martial arts, horror and science fiction together.
When Priest first came out in 2011, I lumped the film together with all the B-list vampire flicks like Underworld. After catching an airing of Priest on the SyFy channel, I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued enough to research the film further.
The film is based on a Korean comic (Manhwa) by Hyung Min-woo. The artist was influenced by the works of Mike Mignola and Greg Capullo and it shows in the work. I love the angularity mixed with dynamic movement in the Priest comic. The comic’s plot differs from the film in that it’s less science fiction and focuses more on fallen angels and demons.
The Priest film has a unique take on the vampire mythos with the monsters appearing more alien and operating with a hive mentality led by a queen mother. The movie also has an amazing animated intro sequence directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) detailing humanity’s centuries-long war with vampire kind. Fans of Castlevania and Vampire Hunter D are sure to enjoy Priest’s ninja-western mashup in a dystopian world.
Priest is currently airing on the SyFy channel and if you’re dying for a sequel I’d recommend Legion.