Drained

2024

Horror / Romance

4
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 85%
IMDb Rating 4.5/10 10 408 408

vampire

Director

Sean Cronin Photo
Sean Cronin

Top cast

Angela Dixon Photo
Angela Dixon as Mum
Andrew Lee Potts Photo
Andrew Lee Potts as DI Edward Finch
Ayvianna Snow Photo
Ayvianna Snow as Nicola
Craig Conway Photo
Craig Conway as John
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
981.69 MB
1280*534
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  fr  
23.976 fps
1 hr 46 min
Seeds 6
1.97 GB
1920*800
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  fr  
23.976 fps
1 hr 46 min
Seeds 14

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by TheMovieSearch 3 / 10

Slow paced and never picked up

Drained (2025) is one of those films that feels like it has an intriguing idea at its core but never quite figures out what it wants to be. On the surface, it presents itself as a blood-soaked thriller with vampire-like undertones, but as the story unfolds, it drifts into psychological territory involving mental health, obsession, and fractured identity. Unfortunately, instead of these elements blending into something unique, they clash in ways that leave the film feeling awkward, unfocused, and emotionally distant.The story follows Thomas, a young man stuck in a dead-end existence-jobless, living with his mother, and unsure of his place in the world. When he enters a relationship that revolves around feeding his girlfriend blood to keep her alive, the film hints at a twisted, codependent love story. That premise alone could have carried a disturbing and intimate narrative, but the movie keeps detouring into psych ward sequences and tonal shifts that feel disconnected from the central idea. Rather than deepening the story, these moments dilute the tension and make it hard to understand what the film is truly trying to say.One of the stronger aspects of Drained is Ruaridh Aldington's performance as Thomas. He brings a sense of vulnerability and internal conflict to the role, grounding the character even when the script falters. You can feel Thomas's confusion, desperation, and need for connection, which helps keep the audience invested on some level. Sadly, the character of his girlfriend feels far less developed. Her emotional distance and lack of depth make their relationship feel one-sided, weakening what should have been the emotional backbone of the film.The screenplay is where Drained struggles the most. It never fully commits to its themes, bouncing between horror, thriller, and psychological drama without weaving them into a cohesive whole. The blood-drinking elements promise a darker, more visceral experience, but that thread is often overshadowed by scenes that don't build on the tension or advance the story in a meaningful way. Instead of escalating toward something powerful, the narrative feels like it's circling itself, unsure of which path to take.From a technical standpoint, the film isn't outright terrible, but nothing truly stands out either. The direction feels restrained when it should be bold, especially in moments meant to shock or disturb. The pacing is uneven, with stretches that drag and others that rush through ideas that deserved more exploration. The overall tone ends up feeling muted, which is a problem for a film that's supposed to unsettle and provoke.In the end, Drained is a film with potential that never quite finds its voice. It has an interesting premise, a committed lead performance, and hints of something deeper beneath the surface, but it's held back by an unfocused script and uneven execution. For viewers curious about offbeat indie thrillers, it might be worth a look, but don't expect a satisfying or fully realized experience. It's a movie that leaves you feeling, much like its title suggests, drained-not in a chilling way, but in a sense of missed opportunity.
Reviewed by aaronbarschak 8 / 10

Drained

While not a fan of the genre ,this Vampire film was different, in that there was a gritty 21st century suburban realism brought to the genre. Parallels with addiction and mental health issues are very prevalent in this film which is shot in the sickly half light of an addict looking to score, it is as if Trainspotting had met the Vampire movie and had a kid which was raised by Ken Loach and this movie is the result. Not many vampire movies show the vulnerability of their protagonists or show them pissing or struggling with the electricity bill. Ruaridh Aldington gives a very nuanced believable portrayal of Thomas, the struggling 20 something graphic artist wannabe living with his Mum who is wonderfully brought to life by Angela Dixon. Madeline's Bellariu Ion portrays the reluctant Romanian predator trapped by her own condition, again more allegory, in a very sexy but scary way and Craig Conway's John brings relieves the tension with down to earth comedic skills as the sarcastic Northern boyfriend of Thomas's mother. When he says "welcome to the horror show" referring to the unaffordabilty of modern life in London we all get that. Kenton Lloyd Morgan adds to the grimy realism with his portrayal of homeless man on the streets. Peter Stylianou has written and edited a film about 21st Century London where the protagonists just happen to be Vampires. Sean Cronin and he have crafted a vampire movie for grown ups with a nod to the pitfalls of youth and the clubbing world in an urban environment. Daniel Patrick Vaughan's chiaroscuro lighting gives the ambience of what it should feel like to be a vampire in contrast to the bright colours of Hammer and Amicus productions of the 60's and 70's . Stylianou's script revises the vampire myth to the point of pisstake where Rhea, Bellariu Ion's character screams when the sun shines on her, and then bursts out laughing to let us realise that what we have believed about Vampires all this time, that they die if exposed to sunlight, is a myth, perhaps referencing the myths we believe about Eastern Europeans or indeed all foreigners . Then he has her saying that her and her husband moved to London because of the cloud. While making all these socially relevant points the Cronin and Stylianou never drop the pace of the film or the suspense or horror. It is after all a Vampire film, but one with a new more realistic bite.
Reviewed by paul_m_haakonsen 5 / 10

A different take on the vampire genre...

Given my life-long love of the horror genre, of course I opted to sit down and watch the 2024 movie "Drained", here in 2025, as I had the opportunity to do so. All I knew about it was that it was a vampire movie of sorts. So I didn't really have any expectations to the movie. So in a way, I suppose that directors Peter Stylianou and Sean Cronin had every opportunity to entertain and impress me with their movie.Writer Peter Stylianou put together an adequate script and storyline. It was definitely a different take on the vampire genre, in comparison to many generic and formulaic vampire movies out there. I will say that I was definitely adequately entertained throughout the course of the movie.While I was not familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list, I will say that I found the acting performances in the movie to be good. I was especially impressed with leading actor Ruaridh Aldington, because he carried the movie quite well.The effects in "Drained" were fair. It was not a movie that relied heavily on a galore of special effects in order to tell its story.While "Drained" was a watchable movie, it hardly is a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing, though.My rating of "Drained" lands on a five out of ten stars. I enjoyed the different take on the vampire genre that directors Peter Stylianou and Sean Cronin went for.
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