The Transfiguration (2016) is a horror drama I somehow missed during its initial release. So, I was happy to stumble across this moody vampire tale about loneliness, mental illness, and how we hurt others when we do not take care of ourselves. It is a heavy reminder that while we think our internal struggles are ours alone, our actions have ripple effects on those around us. Writer-director Michael O’Shea’s film is a beautiful slow burn that almost masquerades as a young romance. However, the script leaves the audience much to chew on while hitting them right in the feelings. It tackles race, class, poverty, and hopelessness in a way that makes it impossible to shake off when the credits roll.
The Transfiguration: A Modern Vampire Tale with Deep Emotional Impact
The Transfiguration follows a lonely teen, Milo (Eric Ruffin), who believes he is a vampire. When he meets another alienated teen, Sophie (Chloë Levine), the two form a bond that forces Milo’s fantasies and truths to collide. Their relationship might make you think The Transfiguration is just another Let the Right One In situation. To be fair, O’Shea’s script is very aware of all the vampire lore that came before it. It is unafraid to name movies that it shares DNA with and almost wears each reference as a badge of honor. Milo obsessively consumes vampire media like Martin, Near Dark, Nosferatu, etc. However, while The Transfiguration wears its nods to the films that sired it on its sleeve, it is much more invested in ripping out the hearts of the modern viewer.
Ruffin brings a palpable sadness to Milo. While the film makes you wait as it unravels all of his trauma, you instinctively empathize with him from the second you meet him. Even as you watch him hunt and kill his prey, you cannot help but feel frustrated by how this kid has fallen through the cracks of a broken system. His mother dies before the film starts, and his older brother Lewis (Aaron Moten) has mentally checked out.
Addressing Suicide and Depression in Black Teens
We soon discover Milo is simply another person in his home who needs professional help. However, how many Black teens are forced to navigate adolescence in a system stacked against them? While most of us who go undiagnosed and untreated do not believe we are vampires, plenty of us have been suicidal. The statistics dramatically increase yearly for Black kids and teens. This is why the depictions of suicide and the overwhelming amount of unchecked depression on display in this film make it more relatable than typical vampire fare. It also makes it hard to look away as it raises an important topic that often gets ignored in horror’s haste to default to white leads.
Watching these two brothers not have access to the tools needed to deal with their trauma, shared and individual, is like watching a wreck that you know could have been avoided. Whether or not they understand that they have inherited more than standard generational trauma from their mother, who took her own life in their home, they have no choice but to carry it. Milo’s feelings are so big that they manifest into this bigger-than-life idea that he must be unnatural and should probably not exist. Meanwhile, Lewis avoids the world as he stares into television and refuses to acknowledge his or Milo’s pain.
The Transfiguration’s Bleak Ending: A Lasting Impact
I love and hate The Transfiguration because too many of us who only had our imaginations to get us through the saddest times of our youth can see bits of ourselves in Milo. I also had a visceral reaction to Lewis as the sole adult in the home who constantly dissociates, as Milo is clearly far from okay. Intellectually, I get that he served in the war and probably has PTSD on top of whatever he has picked up from his mother. It is also clear that the VA is not taking care of someone who served this miserable country, which is sadly standard. However, Lewis’ refusal to engage with the real world reminds me of my mom and made this film hit way too close to home. So, while this is an excellent movie, it caught a few parts of me that are a bit unhealed off guard. Which I guess is another sign that it is highly effective storytelling.
In short, The Transfiguration offers a lot to vampire fans. Whether you want to hear how Twilight goes over with a teen well versed in vampire lore, or you are looking for something that shares vibes with many of your favorite bloodsuckers. However, you should pack some Kleenex because The Transfiguration’s bleak ending cuts deep and feels spiritually akin to Bones and All and Ganja & Hess. If you are up to it, it is worth the psychic damage because the film is an overlooked gem that deserves your attention.
The Transfiguration is currently available on VOD and Tubi.
