Daughters of Darkness
Gemini-Maron | Release Date: October 22, 1971 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
0
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
89
Austin ChronicleJerry Renshaw
Daughters of Darkness is a superb, elegant, and sexy vampire movie; its deliberate pace only adds to its overall impact. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Strikingly shot and notable for Seyrig's monstrous, Dietrich-like character, Daughters is a psychosexual horror film that's gripping almost up to the very end. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
This psychologically dense, genuinely erotic vampire thriller lacks fangs, but it has plenty of bite. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyChris Nashawaty
Loaded with atmosphere, bared flesh, and a haunting turn by the Dietrich-esque Delphine Seyrig as an ageless countess who hungers for a pair of newlyweds (and their necks). Read full review
80
The New York TimesHoward Thompson
Subtle, stately, stunningly colored and exquisitely directed by Belgium's young Harry Kumel, the coscenarist, this is far and away the most artistic vampire shocker since the Franco-Italian Blood and Roses 10 years ago. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Although slowly paced, it is always stunning to look at -- decadent and perverse in that certain Eurotrashy way. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineEric Henderson
Kümel’s impulse to remain on the waning edge of eroticism turns what could’ve been another cheap thrill into a genuinely unsettling examination of the human race’s most happily sanctioned form of vampirism: man-woman couplings. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
One of the best of many early 1970s vampire movies inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, Daughters of Darkness is remarkable not only for its eroticism, but for Kumel's stunning visual style, reminiscent of that of Josef von Sternberg. Read full review
75
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Harry Kumel's stylish Belgian vampire film with a cult reputation (1971) is worth seeing for several reasons, not least of which is Delphine Seyrig's elegant lead performance as a lesbian vampire who operates a luxury hotel. The baroque mise en scene is also loads of fun. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianTed Mahar
This is decidedly not for everyone, but many consider it an offbeat classic. [03 Nov 2006, p.45]
70
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Daughters of Darkness is so intentionally perverse that it often slips into impure camp, but Kumel and Seyrig hold interest by piling twists on every convention of the vampire genre. Read full review
70
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
The casting of Seyrig, trailing memories of Marienbad, is inspired, and her swooning performance bewitches the entire cast. Kümel casts his own spells with alternating blue washes and red dissolves, and skilful location work that doesn't allow you to see the join between hotel exteriors and interiors - in Ostend and Brussels respectively. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A fairly stylish adult vampire movie, and Delphine Seyrig (last seen wandering about a resort hotel in Last Year at Marienbad) is a most satisfactory vampire. Read full review
30
Village VoiceTom Costner
About the only thing to praise in Daughters is the way Seyrig looks: she is stunning in soft focus, chiffon, and egret. The dialogue and plot demands are unsurmountable burdens even for an actress as accomplished as she is. [01 Jul 1971, p.51]
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