The Addiction (1995) – Film Review

Director: Abel Ferrera
Cast: Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra
Certificate: 18

By Sarah Morgan

Just when you thought you’d seen every variation on the vampire theme, along comes a chance to view Abel Ferrara’s almost forgotten entry in the genre.

Shot in spooky black and white, and made around the same time as the bigger-budgeted yet far inferior Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Interview with the Vampire, it stars Lili Taylor as Kathleen, a shy young woman studying for a PhD in philosophy at New York University. While walking home one night, she’s attacked by a mysterious stranger known only as Casanova, who bites her neck and drinks her blood.

Initially horrified by what has happened, Kathleen soon begins to grow in confidence, and displays some of the traditional vampiric traits, including a desire to drink human blood; after attacking a number of strangers, she turns her attention to her friends, and their fate is, initially, unknown.

“Bloodbath”

Eventually, Kathleen is taken in by a fellow vampire, Peina, who claims to have overcome his addiction to blood and wants to help her deal with hers. However, she either cannot or will not, resulting in a bloodbath that disgusts even Kathleen herself.

It’s fairly clear to anyone watching that vampirism is used here as a metaphor for drug addiction, with the central characters all sucked into (pun intended) a desire for something that may lead them to self-destruct. It’s a clever way to deal with a difficult subject, and something that Ferrara, himself a recovering addict, had a desire to address on film.

The screenplay was written by his long-term collaborator Nicholas St John, and it’s brought brilliantly to life by Taylor and her co-stars, who include a typically scene-stealing Christopher Walken as Peina, Annabella Sciorra as Casanova and future Sopranos stars Edie Falco and Michael Imperioli, who have key supporting roles.

“Inventive”

As a lifelong fan of classic vampire tales, I can heartily recommend The Addiction. It’s smart, inventive and packs a lot into its short running time. It’s also never looked so good thanks to a 4K restoration.

The disc also features an impressive documentary, originally made in 2018, about the making of the film that includes interviews with many of those involved, including Taylor, Walken and Ferrara. The latter can also be heard on an audio commentary and in a new interview.

Quite simply, if you’re sick of the usual formulaic and tired takes on the subject, give yourself a shot in the arm with this one.