Dir. Bryan Enk (2024)
A combination of three short films featuring one-actor monologues of Dracula's three main victims.
Last fall, I attended an Edgar Allen Poe-themed cocktail party in which actors stood on stage performing some of the horror writer's greatest works. Their monologues, punctuated with thematically appropriate libations, were a joy to watch, and it was a great idea for an adult party to celebrate one of the best and most influential minds in the genre. Indie director Bryan Enk takes a similar approach to The Dracula Monologues, a combination of three of his previous shorts, each focusing on an individual victim of the legendary Count Dracula. Containing passages from Stoker's original novel, it's a film that delivers an old-school retelling of some of the best known (and most chilling) parts of the legendary story.
First up is the Captain of the Demeter (Steve Bishop), who reads passages from his diary in a dramatic retelling entitled The Final Voyage of the Good Ship Demeter. His gravelly voice tells the tale, interrupted by screams of his shipmates and the buzzing of flies, putting the viewer directly into the mindset of the Captain as he is hunted by a strange presence aboard his ship. Bishop is fantastic, completely believable in his role and giving all of the moody uncomfortableness that the story demands.
The second short is The Curious Case of R. M. Renfield, with Robert Honeywell playing the titular role. Honeywell is given a little bit more leeway in his performance, due in large part to Renfield's insanity. Honeywell knocks it out of the park, too, delivering every bit of the physical tells of Renfield's mental instability. While Enk did alternate some of the camera angles during the filming of Demeter, he really plays with visual, audio, and even color changes in Renfield. The short is in black and white, and while I don't know why he chose to go old-school with the production quality, it works astoundingly well for the short. The Curious Case of R. M. Renfield is a phenomenal short, and it's a perfect middle entry into The Dracula Monologues that shows what a one-man production is capable of producing.
Finally, Carrie Johnson plays Dracula's first English victim in The Heartless Cruelty of Lucy Westenra. Lucy Westenra is in color again, and Enk definitely hits his stride in making a visually interesting short despite being just one actress talking into the camera. Johnson kills this role, exploring Westenra's sexuality through her demure appeals to her suitors and her fear and confusion through subtle changes in her facial features. This is the best film of the three, and Enk really shows off some skills in this one. I could watch Johnson on-stage directed by Enk for triple this short's runtime without batting an eye.
All together, The Dracula Monologues works surprisingly well. Full disclosure, I am not even a little bit of a Dracula fan (as I've mentioned here before and likely will again). I don't like vampires in general, to be honest. There's something about the whole gothic ambience, misty backgrounds, and slower plot that I've always found so dreadfully boring. It's just never worked for me, and it's rare that I find a vampire horror film that entertains me in the slightest. I think that's why John Carpenter's schlocky Vampires struck a chord with me, because it was the type of popcorn horror that made the undead bloodsuckers tolerable.
What I do like, however, are stage plays, especially when done well. The Dracula Monologues is excellent in every piece of its filmmaking, from the limited cinematography to the stellar performances from its tiny cast. Bishop, Honeywell, and Johnson are excellent, and I'd happily cast any of the three if I ever decided to make a film. Enk is a talented filmmaker as well, and he does so much with so little here that it's actually quite amazing to watch. If you get a chance to watch this one, I highly recommend that you do so, especially if you're a fan of the original novel or stage plays in general.
Who this movie is for: Short horror fans, Classic horror literature lovers, Theater fans
Bottom line: The Dracula Monologues is an excellent combination of three indie shorts dealing with different scenes from Bram Stoker's original novel. The actors do a stellar job with their roles, the cinematography is gripping and effective, and it's a phenomenal job all around. I definitely recommend checking this one out if you get the chance.
