Taking elements from the Victorian era through post-World War II, Perfect Creature is a new take on the vampire mythos. Writer/director Glenn Standring takes the supernatural origins of the bloodsuckers and brings it a few steps closer to reality by presenting them as the next evolutionary step for humanity. The movie is interesting in its mashing of styles and concepts, but ultimately relies a bit too heavily on the standards of crime procedurals to make too much of an impact. Not to say it is bad, but it could have been so much better, making this a frustrating experience.
Perfect Creature exists in an alternate reality. The story is set in the 1960s of this vastly different world, but the tale begins 300 years earlier. Genetic science was discovered by alchemists, which led to the rise of these vampires. First they were hunted down and killed, but time led them to be revered as being sent by God. Back to the film's present, the vampires, now called the Brotherhood, are the keepers of science and the head of the primary religion of the world. They use their blood and accumulated knowledge to cure diseases, while humans donate blood to feed the Brothers.
With the background set in place, the plot can kick into gear. It seems that one of the Brothers has broken ranks and is feeding, and killing, among the general population. His name is Edgar (Leo Gregory), and he has a secret that he is more than willing to share with anyone interested (or not, for that matter). A senior Brother, Silus (Dougray Scott), is on the case. Eventually, he teams with a human police captain, Lilly (Saffron Burrows), to put a stop to Edgar's reign of terror.
This is the biggest stumbling block preventing this ultimately middling work from being something more special. The look is fantastic. It may not have had the biggest of budgets to work with, but its Dark City by way of From Hell look works very well. It gives the impression of really being in another time, familiar yet strangely alien. On top of that, the notion of vampires as keepers of knowledge, religious leaders, and an evolutionary step seems to offer up plenty of topical material to pull from. Sure, there are touches of racism and distrust between humans and Brothers, but it is just a little window dressing on a story that is simply a serial killer tale in a different setting. Running alongside the police procedural/serial killer tale is a presumably forbidden romance as Silus and Lilly have an awkward chemistry with each other.
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