Daughters of Darkness (1971)

Original title

Les Lèvres rouges

Directed by

Harry Kümel

Genre

horror film, vampire film, satanic film, LGBTQ-related film

Country

Germany, France, Belgium, United States

Runtime

1h 40m

Rated

R

Rating

6.2 of 10 from 217 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A newlywed couple stays at a nearly empty seaside hotel in Belgium. They meet a mysterious Hungarian countess and her companion who draw them into a psychological and sexual game with deadly results.

eroticstylishslow-burntensesurrealglamorousunsettlingelegiac

What happens

Daughters of Darkness is a 1971 erotic horror film co-written and directed by Harry Kümel and starring Delphine Seyrig, John Karlen, Andrea Rau, and Danielle Ouimet. Set in a nearly deserted seaside hotel in Belgium, the film follows a newlywed couple who encounter a mysterious Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Báthory, and her enigmatic companion. As tensions rise, the couple is drawn into a disturbing psychological and sexual game, with fatal consequences. A surreal, stylish take on the vampire mythos, Daughters of Darkness blends gothic horror with psychological drama and eroticism. Kümel infuses the film with visual references to Marlene Dietrich and Louise Brooks, while exploring themes of gender, power, and identity. The narrative draws inspiration from historical accounts of Erzsébet Báthory, but recasts her as a seductive, controlling figure in a postwar, decadent setting. Critics have praised Seyrig's performance as the charismatic vampire countess and interpreted the story as a commentary on patriarchal control, queer desire, and the disintegration of traditional gender roles. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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