Binge Or Cringe: ‘I Woke Up A Vampire’ Is The Latest In The Long Line Of Teen Vampire Stories
If you thought the era of teen vampires was over, Netflix has proven you wrong. However, if you think the era of teen vampires should be over, you may very well be right. Netflix’s series I Woke Up A Vampire follows the bubbly middle schooler Carmie (Kaileen Angelic Chang) as she discovers she is a Vampling on her 13th birthday. With the help of her best friend Kev (Niko Ceci) and his extensive comic book knowledge, they learn she is a Blended — the offspring of a Mythic (monster) and a human. Carmie adds this transformation to her list of teen troubles, at the top of which is joining the school musical. While Carmie’s potent positivity and a few fresh takes make for light fun, the plot is predictable and reused.
Meet Carmie, the Vampling
Chang’s upbeat charm as Carmie takes a refreshing turn away from the brooding vampire trope. When she first discovers her powers, she immediately tells Kev, giddily thinking she’s a superhero. However, when Kev later tells her she’s a Vampling, she spouts an all-too familiar “I guess I always thought I was a little different, but I never thought I was a freak.” Kev responds with the perhaps even more over-used, “You’re not a freak. You’re my best friend.” The overall plot is likewise predictable, with every twist inlaid with overbearing clues or cliche enough to be seen from a mile away. One example is the classic conflict of Carmie unknowingly befriending a monster hunter, the new kid at school Dylan Helsing (Zebastin Borjeau). The characters themselves comment that The Shapeshifter, the series’ big bad, has an expected goal of turning Blendeds into an evil army of Mythics. The lore, which includes Carmie choosing between becoming full Mythic or full human on her 16th birthday, is reminiscent of the YA witch book and film Beautiful Creatures. Even the kids resemble tropes of middle schoolers — saying “jelly” and “obvs” — more closely than actual 13-year-olds.
On top of predictability, the conflicts feel small. The only thing The Shapeshifter does is kidnap one Blended, and Carmie even doesn’t have to drink blood. Even though Carmie is supposed to hide her Vampling status from Dylan, she has no problems flying around the city or carelessly breaking school property with her super strength. Her more pressing concern is snagging the lead in the school musical.
That being said, the show does introduce a few unique angles. Carmie is adopted, providing positive representation that is seldom seen in media. Also, keeping up with modern trends in kids’ hobbies, Carmie’s siblings are gamers. In a self-referential twist, Kev and Carmie learn everything they need to know about Blendeds from a niche comic book series; they later learn a former Blended wrote the series to secretly share the Mythic world with the human one.
While most of the supporting characters fit into boxes, some possess new, interesting layers. Dylan fits the hunter archetype of a cool loner with rings and a leather jacket (even as a 13-year-old), but Carmie meets another Blended, she-wolf classmate Madison (Aaliyah Cinello), who breaks the mold of supernatural YA. She’s kind, confident, and shows Carmie the potential good side of Mythics. Raised by a single mother, Madison always moves so people don’t find out she’s a monster. Kev fills the sidekick role of gathering info from the comic book store he works at, guiding Carmie on her journey; however, he presents a novel blend of nerdy and sassy. Kev’s eccentric boss, The Collector (Kris Siddiqi), hates his customers and works with The Shapeshifter, though his compelling reason is later revealed. At school, Carmie is plagued by the typical mean girl, Leanna (Ana Araujo). However, even Leanna has a heartfelt scene where she tells Carmie about the pressure she feels to succeed, later leading Carmie to extend a branch of friendship.
Was it Binge or Cringe
I Woke Up A Vampire is thankfully free of kids series’ more contrived cliches. Carmie and Dylan don’t have crushes on each other, Carmie is not enemies with Madison the she-wolf, and there are no blown-up misunderstandings between friends. Oddly, Carmie and Dylan end up singing an unexpected duet for the school musical, complete with auto-tune. Overall, the series brings fluffy entertainment without becoming irritating for parents watching with their kids.
I Woke Up A Vampire’s overflowing positivity makes it pleasant to watch. Even though Carmie has some conflicts of interest with Dylan and Madison, there are no real arguments between friends. Despite the fantasy premise, there is no violence aside from the Blendeds getting shrunk to three inches tall and put in jars. As for the villain, The Shapeshifter mimics the old-school vampire look with pale skin and a dark red dress, but she’s not that frightening; with limited screen time, the series never shows her harming anyone or threatening anything specific. Viewers can expect a level of drama from each episode that includes losing the family dog and Carmie glowing in her photo for the musical program.
However, the frivolity of the show mixed with the sheer energy of the lead makes for an amusing watch. Unabashedly excited about being a Vampling, Carmie never wallows in her problems. She knows she’s an impulsive kid, pointing out to friends and adults that she usually doesn’t think before she speaks or acts. Chang brings a quick pace and expressiveness to her role that effortlessly pulls in viewers.
The mix of less-than-innovative lore, mild conflict, and almost laughably bad special effects means viewers don’t have to invest much thought into watching. However, none of the performances are stiff, there is a high energy about the show, and a few cute lines about staying true to yourself make I Woke Up A Vampire watchable, at least.
Who will like it?
I Woke Up A Vampire isn’t a fulfilling watch that will bring together the whole family. It’s the latest in a long line of teen vampire stories, and while it adds a few fairly compelling characters and unique plot elements, the story is predictable and worn out. That being said, the cast is decent, especially the spirited Chang, and the series avoids the more bothersome conventions of tween shows. I Woke Up A Vampire might be fun enough for a younger crowd, and it’s likely tolerable for parents, who seemingly won’t escape the teen vampire curse for a while. The first eight episodes of I Woke Up A Vampire can be streamed on Netflix now.
