Netflix Dark Fantasy Series Brings A New Twist To Vampires
When most people hear the name Van Helsing, they picture the vampire hunter from the 1800s who was the mortal enemy of Dracula. But just as there have been many iterations of Dracula, so too has been the case for his biggest foe. That includes the 2016 Syfy series Van Helsing, set in a post-apocalyptic future and featuring a female descendant of the classic Van Helsing that everyone knows.
A World Without The Sun
Van Helsing ran for five seasons, totaling 65 episodes, and the entire series is currently available on Netflix.
If you were a ‘90s kid and feel like you have seen everything vampire TV shows have to offer from the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Vampire Diaries, or True Blood, there are actually a few unique twists that set Van Helsing apart.
Besides this version of Van Helsing being gender-swapped and set in modern times, it also features a world where the sun has been eclipsed by an eruption that left the world and its atmosphere filled with ash.
This in turn leaves vampires with free roam to ravage the world without one of their biggest weaknesses. It immediately freshens up the pace by assuring the monsters will have to be dispatched in new ways.
A Walking Vampire Cure
Part of that new offensive quickly becomes apparent through the show’s protagonist, Vanessa Van Helsing. Played by Kelly Overton, Vanessa soon realizes that rather than her blood being sustenance for vampires, it is actually an antidote.
Exposure to her blood can turn people who have become vampires back into humans. The problem is, many of the vampires enjoy their new existence, and the threat of Vanessa taking that away from them turns her into a huge target for them.
Reception
Van Helsing is a unique mix of genres encapsulating dystopian fiction, horror, fantasy, and thriller all in one. It is actually a bit of a loose comic book adaptation, coming from the 2014 graphic novel Helsing.
Critics generally praised the adaptation for mixing together multiple genres that they acknowledge should not organically work, but that they felt went surprisingly well together.
Early into Van Helsing’s run, it actually was nominated for recognition in quite a few different categories at the Leo Awards. It wound up winning one for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for Jonathan Scarfe in the episode “Help Me”.
Supernatural Horror
The era of supernatural horror shows on cable is not as strong as it once was, so Van Helsing definitely stands out for the time it came out in. For fans of shows like Supernatural, it gives something a bit more recent for viewers to sink their teeth into. And with only five seasons, the complete series would be an easy binge watch by the standards of most Netflix subscribers.
Stream It Now
The Walking Dead was a staple on cable television for many years, but zombies are not the only creatures that creators can have a lot of fun with. Vampires also have ample opportunity for lots of fun, intriguing stories. If you are a fan of Interview with the Vampire and want something to fill that void while waiting for the next season, Van Helsing could be right up your alley.
