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British horror receives a smart and stylish update courtesy of this dramatic TV series about modern-day vampire hunters produced for London-based broadcaster Channel 4. While human life is threatened by viral diseases and environmental catastrophes, vampires step out from behind the shadows to protect their food supply. These well-connected and powerful vampires are focused on a series of experiments involving human scientific research. They claim to be interested in establishing a synergistic relationship with mankind. Still, like in all good horror stories, Ultraviolet builds suspense around a sinister plot behind the vampires' actions.
The subtle and serious-minded Ultraviolet is worlds apart from gory Hammer horror movies like Blood of the Vampire (1957), The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Vampire Circus (1971). An erotically charged villain like Christopher Lee's Count Dracula is intentionally missing. Peter Cushing's Christian vampire hunter, Van Helsing, has been replaced by a sober team of government agents intent on erasing the vampire menace. Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) is a London cop pulled into the secret government agency by the strange disappearance of his partner. Colefield's new colleagues are an ex-soldier (Idris Elba), a former priest (Philip Quast) and matter-of-fact scientist Dr. Angela March (Susannah Harker). Together they chase their immortal prey with a sense of sobriety unusual for horror fantasy.
Six one-hour episodes fill two DVDs with a shadowy portrait of the vampire villain that's intentionally difficult to explain. Ultraviolet builds its suspense slowly, releasing narrative secrets throughout its six episodes. There is no comic relief. Colorful madmen have been replaced by corporate villains clad in dark suits. The bloodletting occurs quickly and subtly. Instead of unleashing disgusting shocks, Ultraviolet aims to confuse its audience. The result is an epic drama that depicts its battle between good and evil with intelligence and complexity.
Boosted by Susannah Harker's icy performance as the ultra-serious Dr. March, Ultraviolet depicts death, decay and its barbaric villains with realism and restraint. The lushness found in the Gothic fiction of Percy Shelley and Lord Byron is notably missing. Ultraviolet immerses its story in shadowy subway tunnels and neon-lit alleys. It's impressive how Ultraviolet builds its thrills without any costly effects. Sue Hewitt's eerie musical score matches perfectly with the series' deliberate storytelling. When pieces of the puzzle are finally revealed -- such as the mausoleum where the captured vampires are stored -- the results are creepy and satisfying. By keeping its photographic tricks to a minimum, Ultraviolet pays homage to the early days of the Hammer horror movies by reminding audiences that psychological terror doesn't require costly special effects or runaway production costs. With Ultraviolet, its chilling mood and ensemble of credible performances create more than enough scares. (Grade: A)
© Lightborne Publishing Inc.
