'The Last Man on Earth' Review: Vampires of the 1960s
Published on HivePostify by @namiks · Sat Aug 01 2026
No, not the recent television show that was a bit of a niche hit despite getting an unfortunate cancellation and featuring the much eccentric Will Forte! This is the 1964 thriller/horror film shot in black and white and detailing the struggles a lone scientistic survivor attempting to survive the after math of a a deadly virus that has swept the world and turned people into vampires that become lethargic during the daytime, and much more alive during the darkness of the night! I stumbled across the film and assumed it was something I had seen before based on its title, but I was completely wrong there. And I'm glad I was! Usually I prefer watching such films around Halloween but I jumped into this immediately.
Despite its short runtime it's a film that really moves from one place to another, and I really liked how it managed that with a narrative that shows the present for our protagonist, but also the past as the virus slowly developed over time, impacting him and his family. I like that this character was even a sceptic of the virus at first, as headlines in newspapers claimed it was airborne; how he claimed to his family and failed them that he and his scientist colleagues would be working on a cure to ensure it never really develops beyond something genuinely threatening to the American population. I quite liked that the film had this setup, we're thrown into the chaos and slowly witness the events that led to it all, as well as the protagonist's remaining misery at being the last person to roam the Earth as he's effectively hunted.
This very much has the traits of a horror flick from the 1960s, it's a bit cheesy in the ways in which you'd think: the mannerisms of the make up and movements of the vampires, the acting that is rather theatrical at times. And also the aspects of its storytelling through the directing. That is to say it's a film that shows its age, but I wouldn't say it's a negative thing about it, for me it was something that made it a bit more fun. It's not a modern kind of horror but more something that thrills a bit and tells a short story before leaving. It's more atmospheric than anything. In fact, I even read that the film ended up serving as a strong influence to Romero's massive Night of the Living Dead, and it certainly shows! And despite the age, it's shot on a wide aspect ratio with a beautiful anamorphic look, making it very cinematic.
In the end it was quite a fun film. Definitely worth checking out going into Halloween though, so maybe keep it aside until then!
Tags: #film#movies#writing#blog