Strigoi - Movie Review

The villagers of a small Romanian village murder Constantin Tirescu and his wife. They feel the murders are justified, former medical student Vlad believes it was cold blooded murder. Now, he is trying to prove it. The only problem – how can Vlad solve a murder when the victims are walking around with insatiable appetites while a mysterious virus brought on by the strigoi spreads amongst the townspeople? 

The word “strigoi” is a Romanian term for a trouble soul that has risen from the grave, be they vampires or zombies. They can even be fully alive but with supernatural capabilities. The movie Strigoi serves as a platform, elaborating on what a strigoi actually is and focuses on the generation gap in the practice of the traditional rituals following someone’s death and the lack of respect for these conventions by the newer generations while telling a murder mystery. 

The movie Strigoi is an interesting concept undertaken by writer/director Faye Jackson who does a good job of detailing the myths and folklore behind the creatures. However, the pace of the movie rivals that of a crippled slug traveling in a snowstorm due to the dark, dry humor incorporated into the film. It was practically a chore to finish the whole movie. I did like it for the most part; I tend to like dry wit and there are some fun characters, like Vlad’s grandfather who may or may not be sucking Vlad’s blood in his sleep. There is implied violence amongst the scenery and background noises but no actual gore.  

I can’t say I’d recommend Strigoi as first-choice-viewing. It is definitely not a generally acceptable movie, but for horror enthusiasts, it’s worth a look; just beware of the sluggish tempo and arid comedy.