Sometimes a movie comes along that checks off all the boxes for something you know you are going to love. Boys from County Hell is one of those movies. Does it have a new take on classic horror lore? Check. A combination of scary, funny, and emotional moments? Check. An amazing score and soundtrack? Check.
Boys from County Hell had me hooked from the opening credits scene. The atmospheric score looms over shots of the Irish countryside. We see the Canadian hikers, the sign for Six Mile Hill, and the stone cairn before focusing on the sign for the local pub, The Stoker. The shot lingers on the sign, immediately recalling the Dracula archetype that the movie is going to go against.
The small town of Six Mile Hill’s claim to fame is being the place where Bram Stoker stayed shortly before writing Dracula. The townsfolk even think that Stoker based the Dracula character off of a legend of a local vampire called Abhartach. They get occasional tourists who travel to Six Mile Hill to see the stone cairn that is supposedly the burial site of Abhartach. But when Eugene’s (Jack Rowan) dad Francie (Nigel O’Neill) takes a construction contract to build a road bypass through the town, disrupting the cairn, there is unrest in the town. Once the cairn is toppled, vampires are let loose on the townsfolk, and Eugene and his friends have to figure out how to survive and stop the spread.
Horror comedies and vampire movies have both been very popular in the last few years. But instead of feeling cliched or repetitive, Boys from County Hell manages to set itself apart by putting a unique twist on the classic vampire lore. Abhartach is so strong that he doesn’t need to bite people, blood pours from his victims when he is in their presence. Instead of getting turned by a bite, you get turned by being cut by a rock from the original burial cairn. Vampires can’t be staked to death, killed by the sun, or even decapitated. They have to be put in the ground and buried under stones. The vampire lore that Boys from County Hell creates retains the fear and violence that you expect from vampires, but does so in unexpected ways. The movie’s characters expect the vampires to follow traditional lore, and the changes constantly surprise them, often in humorous moments that are occasionally genuinely scary. We learn about these differences and are surprised right alongside the characters, making the subversion of the expected lore extremely effective.
The movie’s main cast, Eugene, William (Fra Fee), Claire (Louisa Harland), and SP (Michael Hough), is extremely believable. The way that they banter and bicker back and forth feels natural. Even the fight between William and Eugene feels like a real fight between two drunk best friends. As they move through the movie together, their emotional connections sharpen the moments of seriousness and horror that play against the comedy. The way the film is structured relies on these relationships to provide the emotional and story foundation that carry the weight of the movie. In the first half of the film, we get scenes of members of the main group together and then cut away to events that don’t include them. It really establishes them as the anchors of the story. As things progress and vampires are popping up more frequently, no matter what is happening, the scene always works its way back to the group, centering on them and how what has just happened is affecting them at the moment.
The biggest strength of Boys from County Hell is its ability to seamlessly blend horror and comedy, often in the same scene. As the group is trying to figure out what to do with Charlie, the first vampire they encounter, he is in the background of the shot awkwardly pulling himself up from the stake that has pinned his chest to the ground. As they try to trap another vampire in a later scene, SP swings a dead baby cow to knock him into the coffin they have laid out. The movie is most successful in blending horror and comedy with its score. The score perfectly sets the tone for each scene, easily putting the viewer in the headspace of horror, action, or comedy. In an early montage, pop music plays as Eugene struggles to get ready and meet his dad. As Francie and his crew encounter their first vampire, ominous strings play in the background, growing the dread as the movie truly moves into horror.
Boys from County Hell juxtaposes the beauty of the Irish countryside with the violence and brutality of vampires. Despite its supernatural subject matter, it is able to ground the story with relatable characters and a unique take on an oft-told legend. It will make you laugh, impress you with its action, and pull at your heartstrings. Boys from County Hell is a strong entry as both a horror comedy and a vampire movie and will be one that continues to receive praise. I highly recommend checking it out.
