Fangs Out is rough from start to finish. The makeup is so poor that it might be intended as a visual gag. Anna (Veronica Ricci) is the vampiric nurse, while Angela is still a human, though Pavor promises to change her. Anna is just covered in poorly applied white makeup that was probably bought from a party supply store. It is ghastly. If its unsightly appearance is meant to be a joke, it is not presented in an over-the-top enough manner to work. If it is just bad design and work, then that is just poor filmmaking.
The plot also doesn’t make too much sense. Oppenheimer was going for a From Dusk Til Dawn vibe with the setting but failed. Until the daughter calls her cop father, has no one ever come looking for former or current patients? Why in the heck does this illegal operation have a public-facing website? These victims disappearing raise plenty of questions. Unfortunately, Devine flounders to create tension or atmosphere. The camera work is often unfocused, while the editing is jarringly abrupt. Plus, with a few exceptions, the dialogue is not memorable or funny enough to work.
“…the score is absolutely amazing.”
On top of that, the cast for Fangs Out is not very good. Excluding Estrada and Aung, no one is believable or engaging. Ricci is especially bad, as she’s neither menacing nor funny. Oppenheimer seems confused about his character’s motivations, and I can’t blame him there. Rivas plays his role as too creepy that no one would buy his bookstore front. Easter Jr. is so wooden he might be better suited to a different career altogether. As the big bad, Samuel Code seems to be going for hammy but doesn’t get there. He’s a joke and not in the intended way.
So does anything work here? Yes, actually. Aung is so relaxed and fun onscreen, which helps her sell her lines believably. Estrada isn’t quite as good, but it definitely holds a certain appeal. These two help keep anyone watching engaged more than the shoddy script or direction do. Plus, the score is absolutely amazing. The music isn’t just good compared to the rest of the production; it is propulsive and fun, suited for a better title than this. I wish I knew who to credit for the outstanding score, but the film’s IMDb page is so sparse that no crew beyond the producers, writer, and director are listed.
Check out its IMDb page to understand just how slapdash Fangs Out is. The four main characters are not listed. To get the characters’ names and their respective actors, I had to go through the film, find scenes where names are spoken, and then go to the poorly done credits for the actors, as their character names are not listed there. What sort of outfit can’t even be bothered to credit their actors properly? Too bad, as parts of this production show promise.
"…some flicks seem to be made to turn around a quick buck from unsuspecting viewers..."
