Being a vampire is bound to have some pros and cons. I would put immortality, the endless well of youthful looks, and the ability to turn into a bat as big pluses. While most would count the reliance on drinking blood and aversion to sunlight as downsides, I would argue there’s something far worse…overexposure.
Vampires have always held everlasting popularity amongst the creatures of the night. However, after over two centuries, there has been an expected repetition of tired tropes. How often have we seen dreary, pale-skinned, bloodsuckers whose fangs are as sharp as their cheekbones? The answer, far too many times. Thanks to one of Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous auteurs Warwick Thorton and esteemed filmmaker Brendan Fletcher, we finally have a bold new vision of our fanged foes, ‘Firebite’.
The series takes place in the remote mining town of Opal City, which stands as the last underground stronghold of vampires shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations (inspired by actual atrocious events). In the 233 years since vampires have been picked off by a secretive group known as the “bloodhunters”. However, evil is brewing in the mines, and it’s up to the ragtag team of the reckless Tyson and 17-year-old orphan Shanika to finally put an end to the darkness and stop them from preying on the blood of First Nations Peoples.
‘Firebite’ is a thrilling ride down a dirt road paved with grindhouse gore and old school horror thrills. Thornton and Fletcher have concocted a series that sharpens its fangs on genre storytelling before sinking them deeply into themes of colonisation. In eight episodes, the cast and crew have pulled off the rare feat of creating a hearty slice of pulp fiction that carries resonance long after the sun has come up!
Special thanks to Warwick and Brendan for taking the time to chat! Firebite is available exclusively on AMC+ now; the new streaming bundle is available via Amazon Prime Video Channels and Apple TV Channels. New episodes come out every Thursday!
