Ruthless vampires splattering blood in the desert continue to be a winning combo in writer-director Samjad’s Half. Only this time, the vampires in question are the protagonists enacting vicious vengeance in a gory genre-hybrid that enlists the talents of Very Tri Yulisman (The Raid 2, The Night Comes for Us) for its visceral martial arts action choreography.
Half refers to twins Ethan (Ranjith Sajeev) and Ivy (Aiswarya Raj), close-knit siblings born of a human mother and a revenant father. After an opening scene that establishes their dynamics in childhood, namely Ethan’s protective role over his mute sister, Half cuts to the present to introduce the now-adult twins as they set out on a road trip through the Rajasthan desert for Ivy’s new job.
It’s there that they run afoul of local marauders, an organized crime ring that robs passersby and brutally disposes of all evidence. Samjad evokes the nastiness of Mario Bava’s Rabid Dogs when it comes to the ruthless bandits, who degrade their victims before maiming and eviscerating them.
That’s precisely what happens to Ethan and Ivy, too, with the marauders none the wiser that they’ve victimized the wrong pair. When night rises, the twins’ vampiric half resurrects them, setting in motion a thrilling, bloodthirsty quest for revenge.
It’s a winning premise that only grows fiercer and more exhilarating the more the body count rises. The initial buildup, while no slouch by any means, feels downright sluggish compared to the vibrant, stylish, fist-pumping carnage fest Samjad unleashes in the back half. The earworm Malayalam soundtrack, largely filtered through Ivy’s headphones, creates the perfect energetic backdrop for Ethan and Ivy’s unrelenting aggression.
Yulisman tailors choreography to the siblings’ personalities, with Ethan the more aggressive of the two by far, though Ivy establishes herself as quite adept at makeshift weaponry. It’s Ivy who has the more robust arc, with the personal degradation she suffered providing the biggest motivation for the pair. Ivy also happens to be the epitome of cool, who’s far more capable than even Ethan initially gives her credit for.
Sajeev and Raj plausibly play siblings with a lifelong history; their natural bickering establishes familial rapport that only deepens when they unite to fend off grave threats.
Of course, the steady flow of visceral violence builds to its inevitable climactic showdown, and Yulisman unleashes a symphony of gruesome carnage that paints the desert red. It’s a well-staged siege that finds no shortage of ways to dole out pain and suffering from both sides of the battle lines.
It never wades too deep into vampire mythology beyond limited flashbacks, and for the better. Pared-back simplicity lends an easy shorthand to the twins’ supernatural abilities, which in turn allows for more surprises for both the audience and cruel villains alike. While that straightforward simplicity means that the closing moments don’t hit as hard as the bloodbath that preceded, it also doesn’t detract either.
Half joins the likes of Near Dark and John Carpenter’s Vampires in terms of vampiric savagery unleashed in the desert, but Samjad infuses it with a unique “curry western” spin that puts crowd-pleasing action front and center. Ethan and Ivy are so easy to root for in such a hyper-violent world, and it’s satisfying to see repulsive, immoral madmen get their comeuppance.
It’s the type of vengeance that comes with all the bone-crunching mayhem and arterial spray you could hope for, housed in a cool package helmed with singular vision.
Half made its world premiere at TIFF. Release info TBA.
