Back in 2007, a couple of filmmakers appeared on the horror scene as the potential next big thing. Director Jim Mickle and actor/screenwriter, Nick Damici, had their debut film picked up by After Dark 8 Films To Die For. The film, Mulberry Street, played limited release before it found a following on disc. It’s take on the everyday life of an apartment building in Manhattan during an apocalypse was both a thrilling action piece and a great story about its eclectic characters. A few years later, genre favorite Larry Fessenden produced their follow up, Stake Land, which was a thrilling departure from the atypical vampire film.

When a teenage boy’s family is killed during the vampire apocalypse, a mysterious man simply entitled Mister becomes his guardian and the two begin the trek from southern Pennsylvania to Ontario in their search for a safe zone. On their journey they are joined by a number of other drifters who all seek the same as they: safety, happiness, and family from each other.

Stake Land was immediately received with glowing reviews. Both fans and critics loved the coming of age tale and the unspoken love that the characters had for each other as they sorted out their part within their new “family”. Plus with vampires being nothing more than monsters, horror fans were ecstatic by the ruthlessness of one of their favorite monsters. Dark Discussions talks about this 2010 film and gives their take on a movie with much symbolism, both obvious and not so much.