Why From Dusk Till Dawn has aged poorly as the vampire movie with George Clooney turns 30

This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries. In recent months, Quentin Tarantino has been in the news for criticising actors such as Paul Dano and Matthew Lillard in a manner unbecoming of a cinephile. But there was a time he fancied himself a leading man – or at least, the leading man’s creepy brother. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Desperado), from a script by Tarantino – based on a treatment by special effects expert Robert Kurtzman – From Dusk Till Dawn turns 30 this month. Although it contains all the hallmarks of a typical 1990s Tarantino crime caper, it switches gears halfway, morphing into a gory vampire flick. George Clooney, still on his way to mega-stardom, plays bank robber Seth Gecko, on the run after a jailbreak staged by his brother, Richie (Tarantino). Even with a tattoo snaking up his neck, Clooney does not quite convince as a cold-blooded killer, but his charisma goes some way to masking the movie’s flaws. Surprisingly, for those who have suffered through his cameos, Tarantino is well cast as the psychotic sex offender Richie. But compared to Clooney’s effortless star wattage, he is still, to quote his assessment of Dano, “weak sauce”. If Tarantino casting himself as a sex offender seems strange, Rodriguez compounds the problem by having the camera mimic Richie’s malevolent gaze. The fact that their boss was Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein makes the decision even more uncomfortable. But then, From Dusk Till Dawn always plays to the lowest common denominator, moving from juvenile to downright sleazy. One wonders what the ever-classy Clooney made of it all. The film starts in familiar Tarantino territory with the Geckos and their hostage Gloria (Brenda Hillhouse) hiding from the cops at a Texas roadside store. Anchored by a long back-and-forth between a Texas Ranger (Michael Parks) and the store owner (John Hawkes) that turns into a larger-than-life shoot-out, this opening sequence is tense and funny, with witty reversals, profane dialogue and plenty of pop culture references. While nothing hints at the supernatural carnage to come, watching the owner firing a gun while engulfed in flames suggests there will be no holding back. Sure enough, the next sequence has Richie, left alone with the hostage at a motel, sexually assaulting and killing her off-screen. “That’s not how it’s done!” Seth shouts, as if Richie has broken the criminals’ code rather than committed an unforgivable act of violence. Perhaps it is meant to be daring, but it just feels crass, like the filmmakers do not really care about their female characters or understand the gravity of what they are showing. The troubling tone continues as the brothers kidnap ex-preacher Jacob (Harvey Keitel) and his children, Scott (Ernest Liu) and Kate (Juliette Lewis), forcing them to drive the pair to Mexico, with Richie clearly leering at Kate. One ill-judged moment shows her propositioning him – in his mind. Another fetishises shots of her feet. But are these Richie’s preoccupations or Tarantino’s? Once across the border, the group stops at the Titty Twister bar, where all hell breaks loose. After a risqué dance by Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek), the staff turn into vampires, attacking and killing the patrons. Led by Seth and Jacob, a group of survivors attempts to last the night. This is where the film really goes off the rails – and not in the way its makers intended. The writing is lazy and self-referential, such as introducing a character called Sex Machine (special effects legend Tom Savini), whose codpiece revolver is a nod to Rodriguez’s earlier work. With the bar full of B-movie actors (stoner comedian Cheech Marin, blaxploitation star Fred Williamson) and semi-naked women, it resembles a Tarantino fever dream. Despite stitching two different genres together, it seems Tarantino and Rodriguez did not give much thought to either, leaving the whole enterprise feeling rushed and slapdash. Although the practical effects are good, the digital ones have aged terribly. The creatures have no lore, no mystique; they just appear and attack. And, as nothing has been invested in bringing them to life, it is hard to be engaged in watching them die. Upon release, the film made a respectable US$59 million on a budget of US$19 million, and has since become a cult favourite – especially among men of a certain age. Two sequels, a television series and a video game followed, but the film’s greatest legacy is Ryan Coogler’s 2025 hit Sinners. A film about criminals and vampires – but for adults – Sinners has the rare distinction of actually having something to say. Before it came out, Coogler wrote an open letter to thank everyone who had inspired him, Tarantino included. Perhaps he could teach Tarantino a thing or two about grace. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook

Why From Dusk Till Dawn has aged poorly as the vampire movie with George Clooney turns 30

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}George Clooney’s charisma can’t mask the flaws of this 1996 gorefest written by Quentin Tarantino, from bad effects to treatment of women

George Clooney’s charisma can’t mask the flaws of this 1996 gorefest written by Quentin Tarantino, from bad effects to treatment of women