Edward Shimborske IV—making his feature debut at the ripe age of 24—definitely brings the ambition with On Gallows Hill.
Matthew (Rohan Maletira) was a regular college kid until a rough night in New York City and a fight with a bouncer ends with him being dumped in an alley in the worst neighborhood in the Big Apple. He ends being attacked and turned into a vampire.
Here’s where Shimborske gives us a clever twist: our new bloodsucker can’t just feed on anyone. He’s limited to the blood type he had while human. Poor Matthew is O-, turning his new eternal life into a comedic hunt for the right donor.
He falls in with a crew of underground vampires, including mentor figure Joseph Singer (Sam Smiley) and the dandyish leader of The Inner Circle, Ben (Noah Jacobs). They take pity on him and get him a source for blood while he works for them.
Toss in a ticking-clock mechanic where vamps turn into desiccated husks if they don’t feed every ten days and a doomed romance with a nursing assistant named Annie Apples (Jill Pierangeli — who has the blood type Matthew needs — and you have a movie that is clearly bursting with ideas.
Maybe too many ideas, as by the end we also have Mr. James Skinner (Billy Whitehorse), a vampire hunter who pursues him.
The biggest takeaway here is that On Gallows Hill feels like an overextended feature. The high-concept hook of the blood type diet is fantastic and I loved the scene where our protagonist keeps asking women their blood type at a bar. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t quite know how to stretch that premise across two hours without losing steam.
However, the craft on display is worth the price of admission.
For example, the black, white, and red opening title sequence (crafted by Jasper Morris, Anna Anderson, Jake Johr and Shimborske) really sets the mood. It’s gritty, nightmarish, and exactly the kind of stylistic punch we look for.
Shimborske is clearly a filmmaker who has watched many movies and wants to try everything at once. But there is more than a vibrant pulse beating here. I can’t wait to see what he makes next.
You can watch this either in-person or virtually at the Chattanooga Film Festival. For more info, visit the official site.
