Vampires have been the subject of countless films, and so it is not surprising that 2001 have a movie of its own, in the form of a teenage horror flick. The results are mixed, but at the same time far greater than expected.

The Forsaken looked like it was going to be one of the worst movies of the year, judging by the trailer. This movie has one of the worst trailers ever made, and, ironically, the main character, Sean (Kerr Smith), is a movie trailer editor. The trailer was just bad, and so I wasn't expecting much from the movie.

But from the first scene, where a girl (Isabella Miko) is standing naked in a shower, covered in blood, I knew that The Forsaken had a chance to return to the days of old, namely the 1980's horror flicks that managed to entertain via those raw excitements, namely gore and nudity.

The Forsaken isn't the smartest movie in the world, its characters aren't the brightest, its actors definitely not Oscar quality, and its plot anything new, but it does set itself apart from the other horror movies that have come out in the last couple of years. The movie has sort of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre feel to it in the way that the whole movie takes place along a relatively empty stretch freeway, without interaction from police officers and other annoying characters. Again, the plot isn't great, but sometimes simple is enjoyable.

Nudity doesn't make a movie good (see Showgirls) but The Forsaken really does know its audience. The movie has lots of gore, whether the victims are having their brains blown out by rifles or having their necks being torn out by vampires, it has lots of nudity, and it does have some excitement here and there. I really can't say that The Forsaken is very scary, but is entertaining.

As if the movie needed coloring, director J.S. Cardone decided to film some of the graphic scenes in sort of a jerky fast motion, which really takes away from the feel of the film. I'd rather have the camera moving at the same pace the entire film instead of having certain scenes be treated as if they aren't important enough to show normally. But then again, I never expected a masterpiece out of a director that has no recognizable titles under his name.

My only other complaint is that the curiously pretty Isabella Miko is used merely for her breasts. We see her breasts more than we hear her talk, and while that isn't all bad, it isn't all good either. The Forsaken treats her like a third lead protagonist, yet she barely gets to speak and is given no character depth.

The Forsaken isn't scary, as one would expect from a vampire film, but it is entertaining, and though the budget holes show at times, it is definitely worth watching, as long as you are in the male teenager category.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.