Grade: C-
Synopsis: A stranger’s arrival makes waves amongst the vampires that lurk in a small New Jersey coastal town.
Cold Hearts is a flawed, but nonetheless impressive, debut from writer/director Robert A. Masciantonio.
The film’s strength is in its script. While the story, which mixes twenty-something angst with supernatural elements, is nothing remarkable, Masciantonio has a real ear for dialog and in that aspect the film shines.
As a director, Masciantonio may not be a visual stylist, but he does find creative ways to work around his limited budget.
Indeed, if anything undoes Cold Hearts, it’s the cast, which is a mixed bag.
Marisa Ryan is good in the lead, exuding an easy charm and confidence the fits the character well, and Amy Jo Johnson gives a solid performances as Ryan’s character’s best friend.
However, opposite Ryan, both Robert Floyd and Christopher Wiehl are horribly miscast as the two male leads. Both roles require considerable amounts of charisma, yet neither is able to command any real presence and, as a result, both come off as one-note. In fact, the only male cast member with any real presence is Christian Campbell, who pulls off a rather tricky role very well.
Bottom Line: Though the cast is wildly uneven, the strong script should make Cold Hearts passable for fans of vampire films.
