THE ADDICTION (1995) Review by Steve Kirkham

THE ADDICTION (1995)

3 stars
Arrow Video. 4K UHD. 9th December

THE ADDICTION has director Abel Ferrara and writer Nicholas St John exploring a different take on vampirism which it equates with drug taking and also brings in the AIDs epidemic in an arty and at times pretentious monochrome horror.

Kathleen Conklin (a very good Lili Taylor) is a philosophy student in New York. On her way home from Uni she is dragged from the streets down an alley and attacked by Casanova (Annabelle Sciorra), who bites her in the neck, as she is a vampire.

Back at her apartment Kathleen is understandably upset and the wound on her neck proves to be painful. Hospitalised, the doctors cannot find anything wrong with her. Chronic anaemia maybe? Frustrated, she leaves of her own volition. She soon finds she has to feed her need for blood – at first she finds a homeless man and uses a hypodermic to draw the red stuff, injecting herself when she gets home… later she does go full on vampire.

With it incorporating things like an exhibition of photographs showing wartime atrocities this is a film that is clearly trying to say something and make a point with visual juxtapositions – I’ll leave it to those of a disposition to interpret these things to explore those avenues.

Whilst it is beautifully shot by Ken Kelsch and looks amazing on this 4K release, I found the whole thing too talky and arthouse for my sensibilities despite the committed performance by Taylor. Christopher Walken turns up in a small but important role as a vampire who tries to educate Kathleen. It’s a different take on a well worn subject and does have some striking sequences like the one at the celebratory party.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS
Audio Commentary with Ferrara

Talking With Vampires: documentary directed by Ferrara with interviews with Taylor, Walken, composer Joe Delia and cinematographer Ken Kelsch (30 mins)

Interview with Ferrara (16 mins)

Appreciation by Brad Stevens (8 mins)

Abel Edits The Addiction: footage in the editing suite (8 mins)

Trailer/Image gallery