A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night

A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night

Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour

99 minutes

A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014) has been tagged the “The first Iranian vampire Western”, director Ana Lily Amirpour has no trouble bringing Lynch and Jamursh-isms to screen, but at the same time, this is exclusively fresh.

Arash (Arash Mrandi) belongs to the film’s bleak industrial setting, known as “bad city”. He’s a good-looking James Dean- esque figure with a slick convertible and a lonesome swagger. Although Arash doesn’t give change to the local street kid (Milad Eghbali), claiming his money has been spent on his car, Arash is a nice guy who looks after his junkie father (Marshall Manesh) and tubby cat. Arash comes into contact with the film’s antagonist, the town’s vampire. The vampire (Sheila Vand) known as, “The Girl” resembles a vintage Natalie Wood that works as a moral guider, removing badness from the town. Eventually Arash and the girl fall in love.  Their first affectionate encounter is demonstrated listening to a 80s synthy record and a disco ball flickering. Showing their love is telepathic than words. Although, Arash is no step closer to finding out the girl is a vampire he takes the next step towards their relationship and his father’s drug abuse.

A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night is minimal and relies on familiarity. When I was watching this I could see Lynch’s surreal industrial world in Eraserhead (1977), or as much the nightmarish mood he does so well. Adding to this is the existential character that belongs to the frontier like William Blake (Johnny Depp) in Dead Man (1995) or the romanced bound vampires in Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). While this is a great use of congealing these directors and using black and white timelessly and aesthetically pleasing, at times it felt that A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night is more interested in ticking the right boxes in the art- house department and came across as a postmodern redux. This is because the film is unique, when it isn’t Lynch or Jarmusch and really elevates its awesomeness through the senses. Again highlighting the moment between Arash, the girl and the 80s synth, this is such an affective moment without words or sexually contact. The scene is a full embodiment experience that leaves you feeling their desire and your body tingling. The choice of 80s beats resembles nostalgia, taking you too a scenario that can be relayed or only dreamt off. This is what A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night does exclusively well. 

It also ticks the right boxes in cultural coding, such as the girl’s androgynous body, which challenges gender compared to the voluptuous Atti, (Mozhan Marno) in heels and a dress.  Equally, Arash’s white t-shirt is simple yet a statement in itself, bringing the idea of youth culture from the 50s and anti conformity, which both these character’s address. These ideals make it up to you to work out, like codes of the past. Just like deciphering an American Apparel advert, it could mean obviousness, or subtleties, making this the coolest place to dance too, or the worse place to come down from.