A Breed Apart (2025)

A Breed Apart (2025) is an American action/horror film. Apparently, it’s inspired by another film called The Breed? In any case, I don’t think it’s the 2001 film about vampires living in Jewish ghettos! Or maybe it’s inspired by a book.

Ah… wait! No, I’ve got it! It’s based on The Breed (2006) by Nicholas Mastandrea starring Michelle Rodriguez, among others, and presented by the great Wes Craven. I’ll have to see it soon.

This film starts off rather seriously. Even if you know that a film with influencers is likely to be unbearable! But suddenly the film takes a comic direction and doesn’t let up until the end. It’s as if the director changed his mind during the filming.

The big problem is that this film completely misses the mark where Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), for example, succeeded brilliantly!

Indeed, the humour here is rather heavy-handed. There are very few good gags. Everything that can be criticised about Gen Z can be found here. Of course, there’s talk of women not being attracted to men, ecology, veganism, animal protection and all those other subjects thrown in to show that this is a hip, up-to-date, modern film. It’s as if quotas were needed for everything! There’s also the big macho man who insults women and who we’ll also enjoy watching being eaten. I’m not sure it’s all very healthy!

A pack of hyper-aggressive German shepherds? The concept was pretty appealing, though! The special effects are pretty good, and when they’re really bad you can tell they’re deliberate. But that’s all that disappointed me. I wasn’t expecting a comedy. And it’s hard enough to find films like this without them being rubbish.

Yes, I’m very disappointed! I would have liked to see a serious film with good special effects. Was that too much to ask? If the effects are good, it’s a shame to turn everything on its head. If a film is going to be a comedy, the least it can do is be funny, really hilarious. Not completely pathetic!

Incidentally, I don’t know if this film was inspired by a serious work. If it’s a parody, then maybe I’m missing something because of my lack of culture.

Having said that, Hayden Panettiere has a way of getting on my nerves too, even though she’s in a scene that can be described as quirky and funny… but also as the coup de grace when it comes to the ridiculous (which, fortunately, doesn’t kill you!). This actress is certainly a very good person. But I’ve never caught her in a role with extraordinary charisma. On the contrary!

Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner play the most sympathetic characters and are probably new actresses to watch. Unless they’re already famous to a young audience thanks to some series I haven’t seen.

This film won’t stay in my memory, except to remind me never to see it again! Fans of dinosaurs will certainly appreciate it, but I’m not one of them.

Not to be confused with A Breed Apart (1984) which starred the fabulous trio of Rutger Hauer (The Hitcher), Kathleen Turner (Virgin Suicides, Romancing the Stone/A la poursuite du Diamant Vert, The war of the Roses/La Guerre des Roses, Body Heat) and Powers Boothe (The Emerald Forest/La Forêt d’émeraude, Red Dawn/L’Aube Rouge, U-Turn, Frailty/Emprise).

I have no idea if the original is serious or not, but I don’t think so. Check it out! Here, the end credits are nice. I love it when we see the characters again with their real names. OK, after that it’s also credits that want to keep us watching as long as possible by showing us the behind-the-scenes footage and the bloopers. It’s nice, but you have to have loved the film to fully appreciate these moments.