"Near Dark" Don't call it B grade! Origin of strong director Kathryn Bigelow

Index

• The woman who blew a hole in the Oscars
• Bigelow wanted to make a Western.
• Behind the innovative vampire movie lies the shadow of a famous director
• From a hidden gem to a must-see piece!

The woman who blew a hole in the Oscars

It has become increasingly common for female directors to win Oscars at the Academy Awards. Even in the 2020s, Chloe Zhao for " Nomadland " (2020) and Jane Campion for " The Power of the Dog " (2120) have won. Justine Triet was also nominated for Best Director at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024 for her work on " Anatomy of a Fall ."

Kathryn Bigelow is the one who opened the door to female directors at the Academy Awards. She won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2008 for " The Hurt Locker ," the first time in the 82-year history of the award that a female director had won the award. It was a historic moment that opened a hole in the Academy Awards, which are often derided as conservative.

Director Bigelow has stated that her favorite of her own works is the low-budget film Near Dark in the early days of her career. She made her directorial debut in 1981, co-directing Loveless with Monty Montgomery, but this is her first film as a solo director. That's why she has such strong feelings for it. In this article, I would like to talk about this film, which is a little low-key in her filmography but is not to be missed.

Trailer for "Near Dark"

First, a brief story. One night, Caleb, a young cowboy, meets a woman named May and is attracted to her. However, she is a vampire and cannot survive without killing humans and drinking their blood. Luckily, Caleb is spared from being killed, but when she gently bites him, he becomes a vampire himself. The group of vampires that May is with cannot just leave him like that, so they make him accompany them on their murderous journey. However, Caleb just cannot bring himself to kill people. Meanwhile, Caleb's father searches for his missing son with his young daughter, and they are eventually reunited in an unexpected way...

Bigelow wanted to make a Western.