Last Updated on October 5, 2024 by
The Radleys was initially conceived as a novel published in 2010 by Matt Haig, although it could be best described as a Young Adult novel, meaning that it was written for teenagers and young adults. However, the film adaptation, scripted by Talitha Stevenson and Jo Brand, is even edgier and gloomier. As the movie transitions to the R-rated version under the director of Euros Lyn, the audience learns about vampires’ hidden desires and fights against the urge to drink human blood after years of denial. In addition to teen issues/changes, as was seen in the book, the movie’s themes of sexuality, temptation, and control can be seen. Teenagers might find some resemblance in specific parts of the film such as discovering an identity and facing their desires. However, the film is more appropriate for teenagers of a higher age.
The Story:
The Radley family resides in a suburban neighborhood, attempting to assimilate and blend into the community. Peter (Damien Lewis) is an employed doctor while his wife Helen (Kelly Macdonald) stays home to care for their family. They have two teenage kids: For the characters of Clara and Rowan, the actors’ names are Bo Bragason and Harry Baxendale respectively. It tells the story of a family that appears normal, but in real essence they are vampires. Peter and Helen decided to live as ‘abstainers’, meaning they have abandoned the habit of feeding on blood and living among humans. They try to conceal their vampiric heritage from their children, which shows they can try to put up a normal façade at least. Yet, things get worse when their daughter, Clara (Phoebe Dickinson), is harassed by her classmate, Stuart (Freddie Wise). It is here that the vampire in Clara is awakened, and to defend herself from Stuart, she bites and takes his blood.
This leads to a chain of events. Peter and Helen are now forced to tell their children the truth: they are all vampires. Clara begins the process of accepting the new life and thrives in the strength and ability to consume human blood. On the other hand, Rowan is more of a skeptic, with this new knowledge that something is out there that he does not know what it is doing to him. Adding to this complexity, Peter’s brother – Uncle Will portrayed by Damien Lewis – arrives to complicate matters further. While Peter gave up his vampire ways, Will on the other hand has not and has taken it to the next level. He initially offers to sort out the family’s mess by disposing of Stuart’s dead body, but he also begins to coax Clara and Rowan into fully embracing their vampirism, which interferes with the family dynamics.
The movie deals with several relevant topics that older teenagers can probably relate to, including identity crisis and self-acknowledgment. For instance, Rowan struggles with his gay orientation. He’s developing feelings for his neighbor, Evan, a boy who lives next door with his father, Jared, an ex-cop who is over-protective of Evan. Thus, while Rowan is struggling to analyze his feelings, he is attempting to explore the essence of vampirism. This makes his journey more complicated because he is dealing with two major shadows in his life- being gay and a vampire.
At the same time, Clara also undergoes a certain change herself. Perhaps, she wants to be as ordinary as she can be, so she even attempts to be a vegan but that does not last a long time. The moment she has the first sip of blood, there is a new side of her – the vampire side – that awakens, and she starts getting a kick out of this new, feral self. Her interaction with her parents deteriorates, particularly her mother, Helen, who attempts to maintain order in the family. Helen represents the typical parent trying to keep her family together, but even she can’t control everything once their secret is out.
Peter, the father, also seems not to be in a position to handle the family well as he also loses grip on the family. He wishes to spare his child from the vampire in him but the circumstances related to Clara and Rowan compel him to unearth his previous life. Finally, when things turn worse, Peter goes back to his vampire way of life even after he has been struggling for many years.
Uncle Will has a lot of impact on the family, particularly the young ones. He urges them to be comfortable with themselves—they are vampires. For Rowan, it translates to not lying about his affection towards Evan, as well as not pretending that he is someone he is not. As for Helen, she experiences the return of feelings that were caused by Will. There is a progression of topicality in this part of the film as Helen begins to develop what can be described as a romantic interest in Will and this complicates her relationship with Peter. Due to Will’s interference, the entire family becomes more acquainted with their real vampire identity which contradicts the semblance of normalcy that they embraced.
It is also important to important features that were introduced in the movie and added to the vampire abilities. Uncle Will explains to the family what mind over matter is and how vampires can control the actions of others. He also makes mention of ‘conversion’ within the vampiric communities, which is touched on later in the film. The process of transforming humans into vampires is an essential concept of vampires, and its presence appears in The Radleys when the family has to face the aftermath of revealing their true selves to other people.
Final Thoughts:
The Radleys is written with coming-of-age themes and also contains supernatural and horror aspects which are not as simplistic as those included in most vampiric stories for young adults. This show is not only about the excitement of being a vampire or the aspect of being a vampire that includes being a bloodthirsty monster; it also involves themes such as identity crisis, family bonds, and inner turmoil. The cast, particularly Damien Lewis as the characters of Peter and Will deliver excellent performances though the plot does slacken in the second part. The plot can seem unnecessarily slow at times as if it is attempting to address all characters and their relationships. It is also important to note that while the movie is entertaining, some scenes are a bit long and dragging the pace, and therefore, proper editing could have been done.
Finally, The Radleys is a horror-saturated vampire novel that also discusses the issues of family and personal development. While it may be targeting a teenage audience, any person above the age of 14 will find a lot to ponder on ranging from identity, self-control, and familial pressure as well as the conflict between individualism and conformity. Nevertheless, due to thematic components that can be considered as more adult ones, this film is more suitable for teenagers over seventeen and grown-ups. It’s not a light watch, but if you like vampire stories with fiction and real-life issues, then such a movie will be interesting and thoughtful.
The Radleys 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
The Radleys is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for bloody violent content and language.
Violence & Gore: The presence of vampires and blood-drinking scenes make it a tad on the erectile side for audiences that are easily squeamish. Clara is one of the teenagers, and she transforms into a vampire when she kills her classmate, Stuart, who tried to sexually assault her. Consequently, she bites and kills him by sucking his blood and even provides an explicit description of its effect. In one of the scenes, there is a scene in which Uncle Will assists the family in getting rid of Stuart’s dead body. The body is depicted realistically and morbidly which could be off-putting to some people. There are several episodes of physical confrontation but the most prominent one is where Peter and Will turn into hissing vampires who act aggressively as if in a battle. Transformation into vampires is also portrayed in a rather brutal and gross manner. Special effects, specifically in the horror genre, are employed in the film to depict the process of coming to terms with the beasts within the characters. Some of the scenes are filled with psychological suspense, for example, when the members of the family transform into monsters and try to resist the evil inside them.
Sexual Content: It is centered on the concepts of temptation and control; some of which pertain to the character being a vampire. Intense sexuality is also connected to vampires, as evidenced by the example of the film where Clara, a young woman, becomes more self-assured after transforming into a vampire. The mother, Helen, seems to develop romantic feelings again for her husband’s brother, Will, and memorable hugs and kisses are depicted. This subplot might point to a potential affair or romance. It also focuses on the conflict Rowan has with his sexual identification as he starts to develop a crush on a male neighbor, Evan. Although this is not spelled clearly, it adds to making the film more adult-oriented. It deals with issues such as identity and sexual preference. Vampires in some scenes may be in suggestive poses with clothing on but there are no scenes where the characters are naked. However, due to sexually charged scenes, the movie is unfit for viewing by children and teenagers.
Profanity: It is apparent from the movie that there is noticeable and repeated use of profanity, including the f-word and other vulgarities. These are used during critical times especially when the family risks being discovered as vampires.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Biting the neck and feeding from a victim’s jugular is depicted as a compulsion. This scene can be compared to an addiction when Clara tastes blood for the first time, and she cannot control herself. And there are allusions to the struggle against sin, which is akin to the fight against one’s primary vice. There are a few instances of alcohol use in the movie, with the focus on Uncle Will who is shown to be careless and indulging in rather risky behavior.
Recommended Audience: Thus, it would not be appropriate to watch this film for young teens because it contains violence, erotic scenes, problems with identity, and many abusive words. While readers of the book might have found humor in many scenes, this aspect is not apparent in the movie since it is more intense than in the book.
