Stake Land
Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Apr 27, 2011
    75
    Director Jim Mickle, who co-wrote the film with his star Nick Damici, has crafted a good-looking, well-played and atmospheric apocalyptic vision.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    Apr 28, 2011
    63
    It is a film of many ploooooches, meaning: stake in the chest? Ploooooch goes the sound effect. Yank it out again: ploooooch. Wipe. Rinse. Repeat.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Apr 21, 2011
    80
    Horror fans will celebrate Stake Land, and future horror-film directors should go to school on it. The flame is still burning -- and it keeps the undead away, at least for a while.
  4. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Apr 22, 2011
    25
    This genre flat-lined a long time ago. Why won't it stay dead?
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    Apr 21, 2011
    80
    This unusually taut sophomore feature from Jim Mickle is more abnormal than most in that its creatures are capable not only of evolving but also of embracing religious fanaticism.
  6. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rothkopf
    Apr 19, 2011
    20
    The whole movie aches from tired blood.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    Apr 29, 2011
    100
    Bursts with action, ideas and interesting characters.
  8. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    Apr 28, 2011
    70
    Resourceful writer-director Jim Mickle covers both in his realism-tinged indie Stake Land and shows that a savvy mixture of characterization, atmosphere and gore-eographed suspense can make even the most familiar fright tropes feel vaguely organic again.
  9. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Pam Grady
    May 4, 2011
    90
    Stake Land is the movie "The Road" should have been.
  10. NPR
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    Apr 25, 2011
    65
    Though it has plenty of shocks, the film creates a wasteland that would be compellingly deranged even without vampires pressing insistently at every border. Horror is just the half of it.
  11. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ethan Gilsdorf
    Jun 16, 2011
    75
    This doomed world may feel familiar, but Stake Land remains one of the genre's smartest entries in years.
  12. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Ben Sachs
    Apr 28, 2011
    70
    Mickle's observation of a devastated working-class America is so sharp that the horror elements, though effectively handled, come to feel like an afterthought.
  13. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Karina Longworth
    Apr 19, 2011
    80
    It's thick with a distinct mood-the sadness and exhilaration of having nothing left to lose-and the characters, in their desperation and drive, feel real.
  14. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Justin Lowe
    Apr 19, 2011
    70
    A gritty, low-key hybrid of horror film and road movie that aptly demonstrates the stylistic flexibility of this undying genre.
  15. Variety
    Reviewed by: Alissa Simon
    Apr 19, 2011
    80
    A highly satisfying low-budget horror-thriller from helmer/co-writer Jim Mickle.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Hyperbole
    3
    The first third is good, the second third is bad and the final third is laughable, and not in a good way. It ends up taking itself far too seriously but doesn't have to writing chops to back that up. It evens runs out of ideas completely, resorting to cringing cliche.… Full Review »
  2. JayNiagara
    10
    Stunningly good horror movie - one of the best in a long time. The obvious comparison is that this must be some kind of 'Zombie Land' rip-off, especially with the vampire-tough-guy-escorting-younger-teen-and-coming-of-age storyline. Make no mistake, any parallels do not matter in the least. This movie is excellent and I cannot believe that it has a PG-13 rating! You know you're in for something brutal in the first five minutes when a vampire is encountered in the rafters of a farmhouse chewing on a newborn baby before dangling its corpse by one arm and dropping it to the floor below. Don't get me wrong, I have three kids of my own and I hate scenes like that - but it establishes the dark tone of the movie and how serious the movie-makers were about creating a realistic post-apocalyptic America that doesn't treat the viewers like idiots.… Full Review »
  3. Backslider
    5
    Meh. It's not a bad movie, but it's not a good movie either. The characters often do stupid things apparently for no other reason than to further the story (sleeping out in the open, then abandoning the previously proven safety of a vehicle to run through a cornfield to name but a couple foolish things). And despite the world ending as we know it under a wave of vampires, with people living in constant fear and scavenging to survive, apparently civilization is still intact enough for people to make a living as barbers and bartenders in the post-apocalypse...yah, okay.

    If you're a diehard fan zombie/apocalypse movies, it's probably worth a look. Just go in expecting nothing better than a decent made-for-TV original SyFy movie, and you can't be disappointed.    … Full Review »
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