Actors Noah Fearnley (“American Love Story”) and Madeleine Rocha-Barnette star in the Vigloo vertical drama “Stake to the Heart,” which was directed by Yuchi Tian.
The synopsis is: Cassidy “Cass” Mercer (Madeleine Rocha-Barnette) comes from a historic family of vampire hunters, who are raised to kill without hesitation.
When a new boy, Theo Vale (Noah Fearnley), arrives at her high school and they become lab partners, she is drawn to him only, to discover that Theo is a vampire (after she discovers he lives in a cabin in the woods).
As their forbidden romance deepens, Cassidy is forced to choose between her family’s legacy and her heart. A subsequent looming war between the vampire hunters and the vampires theaters to destroy everything.
In an effort to become a fully fledged, Cass needs to bring down a vampire. She is pressured to do so by her manipulative and vindictive brother, Ryker Mercer, who is the head of the order.
Madeleine Rocha-Barnette delivers a bold and courageous performance as the female protagonist Cassidy Mercer. There is a mystery to her character that will keep fans and viewers engaged throughout this short-form mini-series.
Noah Fearnley is charming as Theo Vale, as well as Cassidy’s voice of reason, whenever she needs it most. His love and admiration for Cass is instantly seen in his eyes from the first time they meet in Chemistry class.
Both Madeleine and Noah have great chemistry together, and their sincere rapport allows for more resonance. They will make the fans feel for them, despite their characters being polar opposites (vampire hunter and a vampire).
Sterling Retzlaff and Ryan Rathbun also star as characters the audience will love to hate… Tristan and Ryker Mercer respectively.
Sterling Retzlaff’s nefarious character, Tristan, is a novice hunter, who complicates things because he wants to ask Cass to the prom as his date, so this all becomes a complex love triangle between two amateur vampire hunters (Cass and Tristan) and a vampire (Theo).
The Verdict
Overall, “Stake to the Heart” is a high-octane and fun Vigloo vertical drama. It has elements of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” meets “The Vampire Diaries,” so it has some late ’90s and early ’00s nostalgia, which will resonate with the fans.
Dynamic performances by Noah Fearnley and Madeleine Rocha-Barnette gives this series its beating heart.
While this show may be a bit fast-paced and slightly predictable but it is thoroughly entertaining, especially for fans that enjoy supernatural, teen drama, action, and fantasy stories.
“Stake to the Heart” is worth checking out, and it garners four out of five stars. Well done.
