Happy couple James (Emmett Friel) and Andy (Darren Munn) hit a rough patch hen Andy unexpectedly loses his job. Worried about how they will make ends meet, the couple decides to take in a lodger under the radar to earn some extra cash until Andy gets back on his feet. After meeting with the handsome and mysterious Sebastian (Chris Ellis-Stanton), the couple decide to let him move in but they don’t realise he’s hiding a dark secret. As a skull-faced killer is roaming the streets, Andy starts to suspect that Sebastian may not be all he seems.
Drink Me is the directorial debut of Daniel Mansfield, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Produced with his husband Richard Mansfield (The Secret Path), Drink Me reimagines the erotic thriller as a vampire movie with the aim of mixing sex and terror. For the most part the film works and it takes an intriguing premise and delivers something quite unexpected with it.
Something we’re sure that will be levelled at Drink Me as a criticism is its low-budget. Honestly that didn’t really bother us and if a film has a decent story behind it and decent acting then it shouldn’t really matter, after all films are made for millions that end up being rubbish. We’re not going to lie to you here though, Drink Me isn’t an exceptional film but we’re not entirely sure it was meant to be. What it is though is the epitome of a guilty pleasure that we enjoyed far more than we expected to or probably should have.
The central premise for Drink Me is very simple. There’s a killer on the loose and that killer could well be Sebastian, the man that has moved in with Andy and James. As soon as Sebastian moves in with the couple, things take a turn for the strange and the new lodger starts to get in between the loved-up couple. That doesn’t stop them having a lot of sex though, and be warned that part of Drink Me’s appeal is definitely the titillation factor and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of serving up fairly graphic sex scenes between its leads.
Performance wise the whole cast does an adequate job. The best of the bunch is Chris Ellis-Stanton as Sebastian. He is mysterious and brooding and puts the right amount of intrigue into his character. Is he a vampire? Is he the killer terrorising the streets? You’ll have to watch to find out the answer to both of those questions. Darren Munn and Emmett Friel were clearly very game for their roles as most of the time they are completely naked and getting it on. In the scenes where they are clothed they are believable as a couple in love.
By the end of Drink Me you’re not entirely sure that the story resolved in a satisfactory way and it does leave a fair bit open to interpretation. A tighter story overall would have benefitted the movie but we can’t deny that it definitely entertained us. Titillation and silliness definitely has a place in the movies and Drink Me really is a guilty pleasure. It won’t change your world or win an Oscar but it will entertain you and give you plenty of visuals to enjoy.
Watch the trailer for Drink Me below:
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