Though a little off-putting, there’s something charming about the vourdalak puppet who looks something like a Jan Švankmajer creation crossed with one of Mike Mignola’s skeletons from Hellboy in Hell. This strange puppet takes you out of the film but in a way that is at least interesting to look at and charmingly analogue.
Even if not the filmmaker’s intention, there’s a clear queer reading of the film that makes it interesting as an adaptation of a story showing how queerness has always been an integral part of vampire mythos.
Full review available on TAKE ONE: https://takeonecinema.net/2024/the-vourdalak/