Tokyo Vampire Hotel is a Japanese nine-part horror miniseries written and directed by Sion Sono, the inventive mad scientist who makes movies behind cult hits like Love exposure and suicide club. If you’re not familiar with his work, you’re in for a wild ride. Known for his insane movies, Sono’s bizarre vampire epic is sprawling, messy and, according to IndieWire, “possibly the wildest thing he’s ever made.” That’s really saying something, considering that Sono’s previous movies have been about up-skirt photographers, pig-faced ghosts, and killer hair extensions.
The series follows Manami, a young woman who is attacked by rival vampire clans on her 22nd birthday. She is rescued by a mysterious vampire named K, and soon the duo end up in Hotel Requiem, a seemingly safe haven for vampires. When the vampires invite a large group of unsuspecting people to a party at the hotel, a bloody food frenzy ensues and a battle for control of the vampire underworld looms. If you love vampires and creative, mind-blowing cult classics, you’d be remiss not to check out this ridiculously fun miniseries about vampires. Here’s why you should watch this iconic Prime Video miniseries.
A fully realized and original vampire mythos
Sion Sono is a filmmaker known for his lack of restraint, with many of his best films running over 3 hours and filled to the gills with rich world building and highly detailed character development. Knowing this, it should go without saying that Sono will surrender when he gets an entire 9-episode television series. Tokyo Vampire Hotel presents a vampire lore that is completely original and exquisitely detailed, dripping intriguing backstory and bits of vampire clan war history into each subsequent installment.
The history of the titular hotel is slowly revealed throughout the show, along with the story of the vampires’ maniacal matriarch and an explanation of the vampires’ way of life right under the noses of humanity. Each of the main characters is assigned their own flashback-fueled character studies, which give context to their actions and don’t make any character feel one-dimensional. It all adds up to a sprawling vampire epic that continually introduces new twists and surprises and never gets bogged down in filler.
Joyful unusual vampire drama
Tokyo Vampire Hotel is a drama series about vampires, yes, but Sono’s show is so aggressively weird that it can’t be fully described in so few words. It also contains elements of grotesque body horror, steamy romance, life drama, post-apocalyptic survival and over the top action. It depicts the war between two ancient vampire clans, equipping each clan with a colorful cast of characters. Corrupt politicians, a desperate group of human survivors and a shriveled, doll-like monster who used to be the queen of the hotel round out the eclectic lineup. The drama and horror of the show is complemented by plenty of slapstick violence, unnecessary gore and a wry sense of humour.
The romantic moments are heartfelt and heartfelt, and even the wackiest characters are utterly convincing. With all these seemingly incongruous elements working together perfectly, Tokyo Vampire Hotel is perhaps the pinnacle of Sono’s aesthetic. His skills in creating both truly terrifying horror movies and offbeat comedies synthesize and make for a truly memorable series. Though not quite as prestigious as Sono’s 2011 masterpiece Guilty of romance, Tokyo Vampire Hotel is amazing and one of the most unique shows you can stream today.
Style as substance
Sono always brings his signature style to his work, a style that Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com perfectly describes as “inimitable” and notes that “nothing is subtle” in his films. While his lack of subtlety polarizes critics from time to time, it is this signature style that often sees his films appearing in lists of the best Japanese films. The style of Tokyo Vampire Hotel is a big part of what makes it great. The colors are bold, the action is choreographed as if it were some kind of beautiful death ballet, and the editing has an addictive rhythm that brings it all together. Influences from Italian giallo films and modern classics such as Oldboy are present and perfectly fused into a new, highly original action-horror aesthetic.
The story jumps back and forth with flashbacks and visions of the future, and shocks with sudden twists that are almost invisible. The best way to describe the insane style of Tokyo Vampire Hotel is to say it’s exciting, though no words can really do it justice. It’s a roller coaster of creative ideas and conflicting emotions that can leave some viewers perplexed. However, those willing to hop on and take the ride will be rewarded with a piece of vampire media that is completely unlike anything they’ve seen before.