Buckle up, creampuffs, because ‘the little web series that could’ released its very first feature film and took us on a journey back to where it all began.
When Carmilla, a web series based off Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Gothic novella, was first released in 2014, viewers knew this was going to be something special. For three seasons, it filled a genre gap in the entertainment industry where progressive storylines are peppered into the plot as background noise. Because let’s face it, they’ve got bigger things to deal with.
The last we saw of Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman) and Carmilla Karnstein (Natasha Negovanlis), the two, along with their gaggle of co-stars, basically stopped an anglerfish and an evil dean from causing an apocalypse. Carmilla received a beating heart at the end of it all and the ship known as Hollstein went off to begin their normal, anglerfish-less life together. Well, as normal as it can get for a tiny gay journalist and a newly cured ex-vampire living on 300 years’ worth of a trust fund.
At last year’s New York Comic Con, it was announced that this story wasn’t over just yet, and the web series would be releasing a feature film come the fall of 2017. One third of the film’s budget was crowdfunded by fans before production even began, making this something truly special for the fandom. In return, the writers gave us exactly what we wanted.
What makes this movie different than other queer stories out there is that the cast and crew heavily identify somewhere in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. From the main stars to the writers to the producers, this team of people understands the need for positive representation in the entertainment industry. And they provided just that.
The Carmilla Movie picks up in Toronto and introduces creampuffs to what life looks like five years later. Laura is facing a journalism slump after her vlog from Silas went viral. Carmilla is learning how to be alive without the thirst for human blood. Lola Perry (Annie Briggs) and S. Lafontaine (Kaitlyn Alexander) have started a business. All is well in the world. Well, it is until Carmilla begins to show signs of “re-vamping,” and Laura starts having wickedly vivid dreams of Carmilla’s past. The gang reunites, including Kirsh (Matt O’Connor) and Mel (Nicole Stamp), and they decide the only way to solve this problem is to head back to where it all began.
“We’re going back to Styria.”
The Scooby-gang heads back to Ell’s (Wynonna Earp’s Dominique Provost-Chalkley) manor where they, quite literally, run into the ghosts of girlfriends past. While Carmilla has almost redeemed herself from years of bad behavior, she’s reminded of the sacrifices she’s had to make along the way. And these sacrifices are stuck in limbo. Emily (Cara Gee) and Charlotte (Grace Lynn Kung), along with Ell, make it their goal to give Carmilla a taste of what she deserves and ultimately, want her to give up her own life so the ghosts can finally leave the house and move on. But Laura has other plans.
Without spoiling all of the details, The Carmilla Movie is a beautifully written story about love, loss, and what you’d be willing to give up to save a loved one. The undeniable chemistry between Bauman and Negovanlis leaves viewers in awe and I’d be lying if I said that the success of the show didn’t rely on the absolute magic between the two stars.
Just when you feel as though the cast couldn’t possibly be any more perfect, Provost-Chalkley shows up as Carmilla’s ex-lover Ell and the entire experience is heightened ten-fold, providing a tension thick enough to sink some teeth into. This role of Ell was completely written for her and I’ll admit that it’ll be difficult to watch her back as her bubbly Waverly self in Syfy’s Wynonna Earp next year.
This female-heavy film offers a little something for everyone, and they wasted no time exploring unique plot twists and diverse backgrounds. The paranormal and passionate script is inclusive and inspiring and Carmilla continues to be a franchise that is revolutionizing queer storytelling.
And to give one little spoiler away, the tiny gay journalist and the newly cured ex-vampire are both alive by the film’s end.
But was that ever in question?
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You can watch The Carmilla Movie on Fullscreen.