After years of brooding, angst-ridden vampire tales, a much-needed antidote to vampire fatigue is nigh as Lionsgate will release by Euros Lyn‘s (Dream Horse, “Heartstopper”) The Radleys this Friday (review here). Adapted from Matt Haig’s acclaimed eponymous 2010 novel, this quirky horror comedy delivers a biting suburban satire that promises to revitalize the vampire genre.
The film, directed by Lyn and adapted from a screenplay by renowned British comedian Jo Brand (The More You Ignore Me, “Getting On”) and Talitha Stevenson, chronicles the seemingly ordinary lives of the Radley family, who appear to be the epitome of suburban normalcy – moderately content, moderately dysfunctional. However, the unassuming clan harbors a dark secret: they are closeted vampires who strictly adhere to the guidelines laid out in the mysterious “Abstainer’s Handbook.” Their carefully constructed charade begins to unravel when their children, Clara and Rowan, discover their own hidden vampiric heritage, turning the family’s peaceful rural existence upside down.
The star-studded ensemle cast features Kelly Macdonald (No Country For Old Men, Holmes & Watson), Damian Lewis (“Billions,” Dreamcatcher, and reuniting with Lyn after working together on Dream Horse), Harry Baxendale (“Shadow and Bone”), Bo Bragason (Censor, “Creeped Out”), Jay Lycurgo (The Batman, “Titans”), Siân Phillips (Dune (1984), Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Clash of the Titans (1981)), Shaun Parkes (“Lost in Space”), Sophia DiMartino (“Loki”, Yesterday) , and Steven Waddington (Uncharted, “Slow Horses”).
To celebrate The Radleys releasing in theaters, On Digital and On Demand this October 4, 2024, CinemaChords sat down with Baxendale who revealed how he he found out he had secured the part in the middle of an A-level English class, how he navigated the film’s delicate balance of horror, humor, and biting social commentary and what he hopes audiences will take away given the use of vampire mythology as a metaphor to explore themes of identity, belonging, and the struggle to reconcile one’s true nature with societal expectations.
