The Addiction (1995)

73% of critics liked it
(26 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(3,144 ratings)

Director Abel Ferrara applies his eccentric vision to the vampire genre with this cerebral "Art" film about graduate philosophy student Kathleen Conklin (Lili Taylor), who is bitten by an aggressive female vampire (Annabella Sciorra) and soon spirals into a nightmarish world of blood addiction and… More Director Abel Ferrara applies his eccentric vision to the vampire genre with this cerebral "Art" film about graduate philosophy student Kathleen Conklin (Lili Taylor), who is bitten by an aggressive female vampire (Annabella Sciorra) and soon spirals into a nightmarish world of blood addiction and existential angst. Driven by her merciless condition, she attacks several of her pretentious friends and classmates (even her professor) and mainlines their blood like heroin. Just as she becomes more bold in seeking prey on the streets of New York, she is waylaid by a potential victim -- actually a sophisticated vampire himself named Peina (Christopher Walken), who chooses to control his own blood addiction through fasting and meditation. Seeming to regain her self-control, she eventually completes her graduate thesis (helped by a bit of vampire nepotism) and holds a party to celebrate, inviting the entire faculty as well as members of her new "family" to join in the festivities. Although the parallels to heroin addiction are in plain view, this is also a study in the essential evil of humankind -- a theme evident in much of Ferrara's work. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Abel Ferrara
Written By: Nicholas St. John
Genres: Drama, Horror

In Theaters: Oct 4, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Apr 28, 1998

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
No matter, without exactly transcending the awful material, Ferrara puts it across with astonishing poetry and conviction.
Caryn James, New York Times
Love him or hate him, Mr. Ferrara is one of the few directors who can turn genre movies into something deeper.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Abel Ferrara, working from a rabidly ambitious script by Nicholas St. John, gives the genre a provocative and perversely funny snap that Anne Rice might envy.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Unfortunately, it's so dark -- and impenetrable -- that it shuts us out.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Macabre and provocative, yet wonderfully restrained.
, Film4
One of Ferrara's most idiosyncratic yet popular slices of misanthropy.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It's got a remarkable visual texture, integrity to burn, and almost -- but not quite -- enough intelligence to justify its lofty ambitions.
, Time Out
Scary, funny, magnificently risible, this could be the most pretentious B-movie ever -- and I mean that as a compliment.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
What we get is a slight, but entertaining movie, that's (dare I say it?) unintentionally funny at times.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Reflecting Ferrara's obsession with guilt and redemption, the film acknowledges the capacity for evil, urging viewers to take responsibility for their actions, or else there won't be a way to arrest evil's diffusion from one generation to the next.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
The allegory wears thin fast, and we're just left with artifice.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Given all the talent involved, this should have been much more compelling.
Susan Tavernetti, Palo Alto Weekly
Christopher Walken, who always looks like one of the living dead, proves that he hasn't exhausted his capacity to make your skin crawl.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Ferrara's film both impresses and terrifies sufficiently for most of its duration.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Captain! The Pretense-O-Meter's gone off the scale!
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
A strange and diverting take on the old vampire tale.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

vieras e

Very plausible.
Antony S

Appropriately down 'n' dirty flick from marverick director Abel Ferrara. The Addiction deals with vampirism sans mythology, placing such an affliction as a parallel with drug addiction, a topic Ferrara has addressed before several times, most notably in the seminal Bad… More
Appropriately down 'n' dirty flick from marverick director Abel Ferrara. The Addiction deals with vampirism sans mythology, placing such an affliction as a parallel with drug addiction, a topic Ferrara has addressed before several times, most notably in the seminal Bad Lieutenant. Walken has a small but highly worthy part, playing a world-weary existential child of the night, using torturous methods to validate his claims that the world is uncompromisingly dog-eat-dog ("The entire world's a graveyard, and we, the birds of prey picking at the bones"). The cinematography (in glorious black and white) is stark, adding to the urban nightmarish feel that Ferrara is so accustomed to. This is the perfect antidote to any claims that he is nothing more than a Scorsese imitator.
Kylie B

Stylistically interesting modern (or post-modern) vampire film. It makes a comparison between vampirism and drug addiction (specifically drugs in the visuals), which is unusual. I don't know if it was the director's intention to distance his audience from the characters and… More
Stylistically interesting modern (or post-modern) vampire film. It makes a comparison between vampirism and drug addiction (specifically drugs in the visuals), which is unusual. I don't know if it was the director's intention to distance his audience from the characters and events, but that's what I felt. The film probably means more to those who know Philosophy.
Christopher B

Another great one from Ferrara. Using vampirism as a metaphor for drug addiction would make me puke blood if it were released now, but at the time I thought it was brilliant. When I first saw this I thought the movie was smarter than me, but now that I've grown up big and… More
Another great one from Ferrara. Using vampirism as a metaphor for drug addiction would make me puke blood if it were released now, but at the time I thought it was brilliant. When I first saw this I thought the movie was smarter than me, but now that I've grown up big and strong...well big anyway, I might keep up with it. Nevertheless, great film that's stylish as hell with a great payoff.

Cast

            Lili Taylor as Kathleen Conklin

            Christopher Walken as Peina

            Annabella Sciorra as Casanova

            Edie Falco as Jean

            Paul Calderon as The Professor

            Fredro Starr as Black

            Frank Aquilino as Delivery Man

            Kathryn Erbe as Anthropology Student

            Michael Imperioli as Missionary

            Chuck Jeffreys as Bartender

            Leroy Johnson as Homeless Victim

            Kevin Scullin as Featured Victim

            Nicholas de Cegli as Cabby

            Jamel "Redrum" Simmons as Black's Friend

            Susan Mitchell as Featured Victim

            Jay Julien as Dean

            Eddie Conna as Waiter

            Fred Williams as Homeless Victim

            Heather Bracken as nurse

            Michael Fella as Cop

            Robert W. Castle as Priest/Narrator

            Nancy Ellen Anzalone as Dress Victim

            Christian Campanella as Featured Victim

            Lisa Casillo as Mary

            Avron Coleman as Cellist

            Anthony Giangrando as Featured Victim

            Mary Ann Hannon as Featured Victim

            Dr. Louis A. Katz as Doctor

            John Vincent McEvily as Featured Victim

            Bianca Pratt as Featured Victim
See full cast