When troubled teen Milo, who has a fascination with vampire lore, meets the equally alienated Sophie, the two form a bond that begins to blur Milo's fantasy into reality.
Ingeniously blending conventions of realism with those of horror cinema, O'Shea has created a remarkable commentary on modern society: one in which horror itself is in many ways more desirable to that of reality.
Bold and brutal in shocking spurts, the indie horror drama from writer-director O'Shea is a startling debut that leaves a fresh mark on the genre while celebrating its forbears.
The Transfiguration gradually reveals itself to be a coming-of-age tale, one whose central figure reaches a point at which he's forced to reckon with the evil lurking within himself.
Mr. Ruffin must carry the film, projecting interior activity and suggesting information where the script (by Mr. O'Shea) does not. That he imbues the film with a weight greater than its words is a testament to his skill as an actor.
Trying hard to play against expectations, writer-director Michael O'Shea casts a black teenager in the lead role of an urban vampire film. It's a decision that ultimately works in the film's favor, but only up to a point.
