We have the makings of a new cult franchise.

An ancient blood feud between two immortial races -- vampires and lycans (a.k.a. werewolves) -- has been raging for centuries. The vampires, whose coven inhabits elaborate mansions, dealt the Lycans a blow centuries ago. Now the vampires hunt the lycans, who dwell in sewers and ramshackle hideouts. This is how the movie begins.

An elaborate pseudo-Shakespearean epic with a gruesomenly extravagent aesthetic, this is among the more grahically bloody films in recent memory. It is simultaniously revolting and majestic.

Crossing genre boundaries, it borrows a great deal of its look-n-feel from The Matrix. Then again, what doesn't these days? This looks to be the beginning of a new strain of vampire lore movieverse, in which vampires and lycans alike tote machine guns which spit bullets laced with ultraiolet emitters and silver nitrate, lethal to vampires and lycans respectively.

The story's background, an ever-more twisted tale of revenge, old family secrets, cruel ironies, and the origins of the immortal races themselves (whose explanation borders on semi-plausible scifi, at least by some stretch) is gradually revealed in bits and pieces of hazy, strobe-timed flashbacks. (Think Angel transitions, but longer.) Things are shown in quick, cryptic flashes before they are explained.

There are no truly heroic characters in this film. The closest things to protagonists are the vampire Selene, and the human Michael. But for most of the movie, Michael is a bewildered victim, swept up in the schemes and struggles of the immortals. Selene generates the most empathy, partly through sex appeal, partly due to her independent resolve to prevail amidst the corruption in her own house and that of her enemies alike, and partly out of her own tragic backstory, which isn't revealed until midway through the film. But she too is motivated by revenge. I like her character.

Hmmmm... Perhaps I am misstating things silghtly. The characters on both sides are understandable and well written. Individual motivations are revealed like a complex interplay of connected dominoes. But these are vile creatures, unapologetic and unrepentent in the malice, brutality and violence they inflict upon one another. The fact that they use humans as food is taken for granted, and rarely shown; the focus is entirely on the war between the immortals. Anti-heroes and beasts rule the night.

The theatre in which we saw it did have the sound cranked to the point that even I found many of the machine-gun-spewing, door-slamming scenes (there were many) uncomfortable after a while. Good digital theatre sound is supposed to be about immersing the audience in the experience, not complete ear shattering wall-to-wall noise from beginning to end. Or maybe I just haven't been subjecting myself to enough ear-deafening dance club sound systems lately.

Overall, however, I enjoyed this addition to the genre. Beautiful style, compelling story, heart pounding modern day goth-gushing action. I shall look forward to the sequels, which are obviously in the works, at least if the ending voice-over has anything to say about the matter. What we have seen so far is just the beginning.