We Are The Night (2011)

64% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(6,250 ratings)

Dennis Gansel, responsible for the hit The Wave, explores night time in Berlin to find a sect of seductive lady vampires that hide out in the city's alternative clubs and enjoy the luxury and pleasures their attained immortality provides them. A stylized vision of female vampirism, closer to films… More Dennis Gansel, responsible for the hit The Wave, explores night time in Berlin to find a sect of seductive lady vampires that hide out in the city's alternative clubs and enjoy the luxury and pleasures their attained immortality provides them. A stylized vision of female vampirism, closer to films like The Hunger or the TV series True Blood than to Twilight, We Are the Night differs from other films present this year in Sitges because it gives the myth an image of sensuality, charisma and attraction, playing especially on fascination for the night. A fascination that Gansel uses almost paroxysmally to exploit the German capital's nighttime atmospheres. -- (C) IFC Entertainment

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Dennis Gansel
Genres: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: May 27, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Sep 20, 2011
Studio: IFC Midnight

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
A love triangle with fangs but no bite, the German import "We Are the Night" is mostly infatuated with its own stylish excesses.
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
Stylishly reinvents juvenile pulp with flashy pyrotechnics.
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice
Gansel compensates for the story's lack of emotional heft with rousing chase scenes and impressive, near-poetic CGI set pieces, and works in a sly suggestion that vampirism is the ultimate expression of consumerist indulgence.
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
A slick, stylish (sometimes silly) vampire import. (Avoid the English dub version!)
Jesse Cataldo, Slant Magazine
We Are the Night's primary interest seems to be wish fulfillment, but it's hard to tell at times exactly whose fantasies these are supposed to be.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Consumed with arranging a pretty picture than securing a ripe female-slanted take on seductive acts of evil and decadence. It's a fireworks display, not a meaty reinvention of a rusty genre.
Brent Simon, Shockya.com
This feels like a Luc Besson genre knock-off in the best sense of that phrase -- a spunky, stylish mash-up of vampire flick and police procedural, with just a dash of doomed romance. Demerits for the dubbing, though.
Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International
...No genre-changer...but it's bloody, occasionally clever and wears its underlying message about the perils of power lightly...
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
The first half-hour boasts real energy and finds new ways to explore elements of the vampire genre. Until the time continued to pass and it slowly dawned that most of its ideas were circa 1987.
Ethan Alter, NYC Film Critic
As vampire movies go, it's a damn sight better than Twilight.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Vampire films are ten a penny these days. But it's not all the same old crap over and over again. With vampire films, I think you just need to find the right balance between emotional moments that humanise these monsters, and those awesome cool moments. We Are The Night does… More
Vampire films are ten a penny these days. But it's not all the same old crap over and over again. With vampire films, I think you just need to find the right balance between emotional moments that humanise these monsters, and those awesome cool moments. We Are The Night does pretty well in both departments, even if it is in favour of action. The first scene had me absolutely hooked. The camera pans around an airplane where all the passengers and crew have been killed. Still alive are three attractive women that soon reveal themselves to be vampires. After a bit of fun, they open the airplane door and dive out mid-air. From there we are introduced to Lena, a young criminal that soon finds herself involved with the vampires. Unfortunately for them, just before Lena is turned, she catches the eye of a young policeman that's interested in her. Like all vampire films, it starts by showing the luxurious excess. Clubbing, drinking, sex etc. But at the same time the film uses the character of Charlotte as an antidote to all this. She obviously suffers from depression. As the gang go out shopping, she stares longingly at some baby shoes. She also stands in the sunlight causing herself great pain. This character encompasses the strongest emotions, and counteracts the action nicely. We also have Louise. A lesbian vampire that is in love with Lena and feels jealous about Lena's crush on the young cop Tom. It shows that no longer how long you live for, certain human emotions are unavoidable. Towards the end it goes for all out action. With SWAT teams, prison breaks, and a beautifully shot fight that has the vampires moving all over the walls. The music was also enjoyable, but the amount of nightclub scenes did get tiring. Just one less could have made an improvement. We Are The Night is a string Vampire film, with stunning locals and excellent pacing. It was great seeing these girls have fun in a woman only vampire world. Another great example of Gansel's talent.
Cynthia S

I am a fan of vampire movies, that is no secret. This fact alone makes me more prone to enjoy a decent vampire movie if it is well done. This movie is VERY nicely done. Had alot of style, good soundtrack, coolness factor, great looking cast, and a story that I could follow. The winter… More
I am a fan of vampire movies, that is no secret. This fact alone makes me more prone to enjoy a decent vampire movie if it is well done. This movie is VERY nicely done. Had alot of style, good soundtrack, coolness factor, great looking cast, and a story that I could follow. The winter setting in Berlin added to the dark ambience, and gave the movie that foreign dark gritty feel that I love so much (reminds me of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Let the Right One In, etc.). Kudos!
Ed Fucking H

Vampirism is for posers in junior high. This new wave of vampire movies for females and pre-teens is at least. The best movie to emerge from this latest vampire trend was Let the Right One In, and I didn't even like that as much as most people seemed too. And don't make me… More
Vampirism is for posers in junior high. This new wave of vampire movies for females and pre-teens is at least. The best movie to emerge from this latest vampire trend was Let the Right One In, and I didn't even like that as much as most people seemed too. And don't make me watch multiple different montage sequences featuring horrible 'goth' music (the techno kind, Bauhaus this isn't!). Really this movie just doesn't bring anything new to the genre. That being said the movie does look very good, the acting is mostly all reasonably well done and believable and its heart did seem to be in the right place. Plus technically I would say this movie was entertaining even if I didn't really care for it. This probably says more about my own biases though, and I assume quite a few people will enjoy this more than I did. Just not my cup of I guess, but I stand by the statement that everything to be found in this movie can also be found elsewhere, and done better in a lot of cases. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do expect others to enjoy this, so give it a try if you go for this sort of thing.
John M

It is fast, action lasting one, with a great camera image and soundtrack but the ending was a bit rushed and could have lasted a little longer. It comes off as much weaker than the rest of the film. But it douse not destroy the rest of the film.