This starts reasonably enough, an academic travels behind the then Iron Curtain to undertake a restoration project on what in the UK would be a listed building. Travelling with him is his daughter, who is a troubled young woman, not the least on account of the razor blade she carries around with her which has been used to, well, just look at the scars on her arm.

Then there is Carmilla; she is real enough on account of her escaping from a crashed car, but exactly how real are her nocturnal visitations, and is she a vampire or a witch?

The former, 'twould appear, because this is an update of the novel "Carmilla", a precursor to Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Alas, unlike the 2013 adaptation of "The Monkey's Paw", our Gothic lesbian femme fatale does not age well, and is more than a little confusing, as is the end of this extremely disappointing film.

For shame!!! I can honestly say that if it wasn't for those two suspicious film "reviews" (who both seem to coincidentally promote Hulu) that were heaping unending words of praise and wonderment for this "film", I would have let this snooze-fest pass me by without allowing it to steal any more time from me than it already has; however, every time I see a fake review, I get so angry so as to allow that emotion to motivate to write my own. At least this way, people have access to at least one review not promulgated by a shill or anyone else with a pecuniary interest in promoting a film.

So I felt as though the story was lacking in any substance which kept my interest. Characters underdeveloped, nothing in the plot which got me to care what happens next. In fact, the only redeeming part of this endeavour was Stephen Rea, although methinks that he is the type of actor who always shines no matter where he's put. Long story short, I quit watching about halfway through. So to be fair, it is possible that the last half of the film could have been the greatest cinematographic event of a lifetime, but I wasn't in the mood to stick around and find out.

Styria should have been called "Her-styria". Bad joke but then Styria is a badly made movie.

Styria is confused, much like its target audience, clumsily mixing 60's style cinematography, teen angst, awkward psychological elements and vague references to vampire mythology.

Its gruesome fare for all the wrong reasons. There are hysterical daddy complexes on offer, issues with mum, rejection of adult authority (surprise, surprise) and a lot more emotional baggage besides. This icky mess is all topped off with a with a bit of fake blood and a beautiful teen vampire temptress.

Simply put, Styria is codswallop, that can only appeal to snotty teen girls who wear dark clothes and make up. Three out of ten from me.

The film is slow to get going, and then when it does its so meandering and ploddy. The acting is one dimensional and i think the script was just so bad it gave nothing for the actors to work with. Not a horror film, more of a supernatural thriller. My advice is stay away unless you're really really bored.

Kinda saw that coming, didn't you? The title I mean. Yeah, the very subjective take on not particularly great film that threw around Joy Division references and "Means to An End" at crucial moments. I'm sold! If Styria had been made in the 70s its spirit and iconography it was trying to recreate would have been a memorable piece. Still, I kinda feel for the pure fanboyism for the film and music of that period this piece displays and am on board. Would I do the same, given the opportunity? You bet!

Stephen Rea. Time to face the facts: greatest actor that never was! Loved this gent since Citizen X, but he just did not give his 100% here. Just kind of exists and wanders through this film hoping for it to be over already.

Can't shake the feeling Styria was an ambitious project. What it lacks in story telling and filmmaking skills makes up in pure enthusiasm. Usually, it is not enough. Was enough for me though, at least this time. I'd "blame" it on predominant music choices, couple of lovely gals, Hungarian countryside and some brief gore. Captures that Gothic atmosphere quite well. So, mission accomplished, as far as I'm concerned. Means to an end. Yeah.

'Styria' is a very different kind of vampire film. In fact, its so different, I didn't realize it was a vampire film until the halfway mark.

It is a slow-paced, character-driven movie. Dr Hill (Stephen Rea) has been granted access to murals in an old castle. Tagging along, is his young daughter, Lara (Eleanor Tomlinson). She has a back story, but it is not clearly defined or explored, and I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to root for her. She is suicidal, but unconvincing - not sure if the character or the acting is to blame; probably a bit of both.

Sitting in the forest, a car speeds past Lara, crashing into a tree. A young woman emerges and starts running. Another person in the car (who is not shown) tries to run her over, but then drives away, leaving the woman dirty and petrified. This is Carmilla (Julia Pietrucha). Lara decides to help the girl, and takes her to the castle. She doesn't tell her Dad, who is incredibly ignorant in not noticing her. Carmilla keeps coming back every night, and the girls wander into the forest for a bit of adventure.

The two girls soon bond and there's lesbian inclinations, but - as with everything else in this movie - it is not well explored. From the beginning one notices something weird about Carmilla, but the viewer is kept guessing almost until the third act. While the film has some eerie moments, most of these moments are diminished when the girls start chattering.

The narration and the plot are uneven. Moments in the film looks like it is more suited for medieval times, and personally I think it would have worked better had it been set in another time. It doesn't work so well in present time.

Ultimately, I found the film a bit on the boring side. I don't think I'm going to remember this. There are far better vampire movies out there.

Lots of potential but no PUNCH. It does not follow through. The actors seem to be sleep walking through their roles. Probably fault of the director. Completely unsatisfying ending. Filled with clichés and scenes that done better in other movies. I kept thinking the movie was finally going to make the viewer jump but did not. Ultimately not worth the time or effort.

An occasionally wooden Stephen Rea plays studious Dr. Hill, whose daughter Lara (Eleanor Tomlinson) glares at people from beneath thickly made-up eyelids: she listens to Joy Division and attempts, in quiet moments, to self-harm (Lara's mum suffered from post-natal depression and committed suicide). During one such time, she witnesses a car crash, in which another young girl is ejected. That her name is Carmilla should get alarm bells ringing. Carmilla (Julia Petruchia) is bewitching and, as you might imagine, somewhat sinister.

'Angel of Darkness', or 'Styria' as it is sometimes known, is a retelling of the Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu vampire story that pre-dates even 'Dracula', but that's not to say interesting new things aren't done with the theme of vampire seduction.

Directors Mauricio Chernovetzky and Mark Devendorf really lay on the atmosphere here, from the beautifully decaying Hungarian castle in which Hill is hurriedly conducting his experiments in the short amount of time available to him, to the wonderfully gothic surrounding gardens and woodlands. This is a modestly budgeted film - in fact I understand it was completed thanks to a Crowdfunding campaign - but it looks superb throughout, with the effective scares taking second place to rich ambience.

The two girls tread that line between mischievous and dangerous, but so skillfully are they played, they never come across as bratty which would be the case in less talented hands.

Sluggish in places it may be, but this is a highly enjoyable excursion into rich, atmospheric horror and provides a very worthwhile and enjoyable new take on the Carmilla story. My score is 8 out of 10.

Styria (Aka Angels of Darkness) is a superbly made independent Gothic thriller. I noticed one of the reviewers was thoroughly confused. I guess some people like movies like their chain restaurants. Not me. I was excited to let go and experience something unique and unexpected. The title of Angels of Darkness doesn't do this film justice. It's way to generic and unsubtle. This film is more like a classic supernatural tale. It's very dreamlike and beautifully shot. The acting is wonderful as well. I think the key to watching this film is letting go of expectations about what a supernatural movie or a vampire story should be about. There are lots of ideas and well explored themes. But I think the the thing that I loved the most was the overall MOOD! I can't wait to watch it again!

I just saw this movie on Hulu Plus. I hadn't heard of it. But I love Stephen Rea, so I decided to see what it was all about. Needless to say, I was not disappointed! This is not your typical supernatural horror movie. It's a slow burn. But there's so much beauty in every image. And there are a lot of visual references and historical layers. I very taken by Eleanor Tomlinson's performance as Lara. And after watching I did some research and realized it is an adaptation of a novella called Carmilla. Now I know what I'll be doing this weekend! I wish more movies were made like this today, atmospheric, beautiful, and full of interesting details!

After waiting what seemed to be a lifetime to see this film, Styria was finally released on Hulu Plus. It was worth the wait. Everything about this film is designed to challenge your senses. The pacing, the art direction, the cinematography, the score, everything about this film is used to draw you in. The boldness that the filmmakers showed in modernizing such an amazing story was a gamble that easily paid off. If you took the best parts of Murnau's Nosferatu and Fukunaga's Jane Eyre and blended them together, this is the movie that would emerge. This is easily one of the best vampire films of the last 20 years. Sheridan Le Fanu would be proud of this adaptation.

Wow, I haven't seen a movie like this in a long time. This is a classical Gothic experience, set in the 1980s. In Hungary. Dang it. Long story time: It's beautifully shot, especially considering the relative newcomer status of the Directors (there's two by the way). The script really shows the work that was put into it, that they worked it until it was the best possible version of the story possible. The story, by the way is an adaptation of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. It's a vampire tale in the most classical of molds, though it's also a tale of modern youth (done so seamlessly that the fantastical elements could easily be the product of a troubled mind, though the mental illness aspect is still treated rather realistically). Actually it hands a certain problematic part of culture (cutting. I'll say it. The main character was a cutter) very well, not promoting it nor demonizing it. The acting is fantastic, Stephen Rea providing a decent performance as the distracted dad (ergo not in it very much but being focal to the resolution), Julia Pietrucha turns in a very decent performance as the seductive and mysterious Carmilla, but Eleanor Tomlinson is the eyes of the movie. She provides a character that is tortured, yet curious, enthralled, yet wishing for freedom. The location is one of a kind and provided a greater character to the scenes. This movie needs to be seen and supported, as film like this needs to be made. It's available on Amazon and Itunes as Angels of Darkness, so check it out if you have the chance.

Made by Foreign Directors, Mauricio Chernovetzky, Mark Devendorf, in a Foreign Land, this Update of Carmella looks and Feels Foreign when Compared to Stateside Movies of its Type.

It is Better because of it. The Film is Dark, Dank, and Depressingly Decaying with its use of a Remote Castle in a Far Away Land of an Era Gone by. The Good Cast also Lend some Eeriness to the Proceedings.

The Organic Sets, that needed No Embellishment, and the Classic Story of a Lesbian Vampire is right at Home in the Undergrowth. The Movie always seems Disconnected from Modern Times, even though the Soundtrack, the Troubled Teen, and other things are Distinctively Today.

More like a Crack in Space-Time Existing Simultaneously. This lends the Film an Other Worldly Template that befits the Gothic Subject Matter. It Echoes Universal and Hammer Horror at Times.

The Third Act opens up to some Serious Bloodletting and the Storytelling may Lose a bit Over the Course of the Movie. But, Overall it is an Oddity of a Film that is surely Worth a Watch for Vampire, and Horror Movie Fans in general.

Others Might Even Enjoy it because it is Anything but Typical.

Note...Also known as "Angels of Darkness".

One of the most beautiful cinematic experiences I have had in ages, "Styria" is a film like no other. It is at once a creepy little Gothic romance and a psychological drama - a rich and complex film that flirts with death, guilt and suicide, but does so in such a seductive way that it makes it utterly irresistible. The performances firmly ground the film in an emotional reality, whilst making the ancient metaphors, dreams and nightmares flesh. But like all great films it remains a mystery and far more than the sum of its parts. Like the castle in which the story plays out, "Styria" begs us to return back to it and go deeper, beyond the layers of history and narrative, into something very primal and very beautiful.

This film's DP should have been given every award out there. It was so beautiful the way it was shot. It felt like you moved quietly through every corner of the castle with each character in the film. I thought it was one of the most creative vampire thrillers I've seen in a while. It was dark and mysterious and kept me glued to the screen the whole film. I kept trying to guess how it was going to end and I couldn't which is so nice to see a surprise ending like that. Stephen Rea gives an excellent performance of this tortured Father and Art Historian and Eleanor Tomlinson as his daughter. I'm truly surprised that this film wasn't playing in every theater in America. I think anyone who loves a good thriller will like this film.

I saw this at a festival about a year ago, and was happy to finally find it online. I really enjoyed it when I first saw it, and it really stuck with me for a few days after. I kept trying to tell people about it after, but could never find it available anywhere. Now I'm glad it's finally been released, although I think the title may be different. It is very atmospheric, and haunting. The day after I saw it, I was trying to look up information about it, but aside from a couple articles, it was hard to find info about when it would be released. Now that it's out, I watched it again, and liked it just as much the second time. It was nice to see a horror/Gothic horror movie set in the 1980s Eastern Europe. I also loved Eleanor Tomlinson, and thought she was great in this role. Overall, I'd highly recommend this movie to film fans.

I watched this on itunes. Completely not what I had expected. It's starts out slow and this may frustrate some viewers, but the rhythm works to create a hypnotic mood. At it's core, the story is about a young woman who needs a connection. It's a universal theme, imbued here with a very spooky atmosphere. This is a subtle thriller. And if you stick to it, it will definitely yield its rewards. The castle where most of the film takes place feels truly haunted. And the faces of the villagers are just incredible. I wish I could watch this film on the big screen. It must be a real treat to see some of those hypnotic images. If you like films that respect you as a viewer and allow you to experience something different, this movie is for you! I know I will be watching it again soon!

This is a great, atmospheric psychological thriller. In a time when too many horror films rely on cheap shocks this is a welcome, slow burn into the Gothic and the uncanny.

The women in the film would be easy to watch doing anything, but what shines is the tense, Gothic tone they're able to carry. I was skeptical about how Stephen Rhea would play in this, but he and the whole cast carry the mood well. Speaking of the mood. The gloomy visuals and period Soviet block color palette is probably the anchor and the thing I like best about the whole film.

Not to mention the rad new-wave goth soundtrack!