This unashamedly comedic satire based on the dictator Augusto Pinochet took me by complete surprise. I went in with an entirely different expectation - perhaps a classy black-n-white movie with a few funny elements but mostly bloody ones. However, "El Conde" gave me something ten times better, and delivered thrills and frills in good measure.

The story was loosely (emphasis on the word) based on Chilean general and dictator Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet (b. November 25, 1915 ; d. December 10, 2006). He later ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. The title of the movie translates to 'The Count', which evokes the perennial legend of Count Dracula (no relation).

Apparently, Augusto Pinochet is a vampire - literally, yes - and after more than two hundred and fifty years being one, he decided to die. Yet he went about hunting hearts - literally, yes - in Santiago and throwing them into a humble kitchen mixer to drink.

The nostalgic black-and-white cinema palette made the story feel real, though it was anything but. I saw the movie in its native Spanish language. English and some French played their parts too. It genuinely made the plot more engaging and fun to see it this way.

The titular El Conde became the ultimate soldier-revolutionary. Guilt, greed, and cruelty saw him playing an active role in wars and battles throughout history. The plot also covered his experiences as a young man in France during the French Revolution.

His military 'rise and rise' was both creepy and funny to watch. It was just as entertaining to see the way they characterized his wife, the equally ruthless Lucia Hiriart (played notably by Gloria Münchmeyer). 'Conde' carved his own power-niche in Chile - which happens to be where this movie was originally made. These sequences too were filled with tasty intrigue and natural comedy.

Then there was the exorcist-nun - the young, pretty, and seemingly unassuming Carmencita (played by Paula Luchsinger) - who added to the creative craze, more so when she went undercover as the family's hush-hush accountant. Her presence in El Conde's life was a result of secret dealings by both the Church and Augusto's own children.

Speak of the minions... Jacinta (played by Antonia Zegers), Mercedes (played by Amparo Noguera), Luciana (played by Catalina Guerra), Manuel (played by Diego Muñoz), and Anibal (played by Marcial Tagle) gave noteworthy performances as the Conde's kids. All five of them were human and more interested in their belated inheritance than anything else.

By the way, Alfredo Castro gave a criminally under-rated performance as Fyodor Krasnov. As for Stella Gonet's narration and physical performance as Margaret Thatcher - allegedly another secret vampire, and Conde's mother - it became the cherry on this bloody cake.

Apparently, drinking certain types of blood can completely reverse the aging process in vampires, transforming them from seniors to toddlers. I liked this new take on old lore, which ended up giving some of the characters a creepy-great space in which to weave sequences filled with subtext.

Right from the get-go, "El Conde" was offensive in comedic ways and dark in several others. They did not shy from using a good amount of gore and violence either. Historical flashbacks and mini 'origin stories' further enriched this brilliant movie and gave it a distinct gothic gravitas.

Pablo Larraín has outdone himself with this one. The political humor was on point and so was the religious one. But, most importantly, Jaime Vadell's acting as El Conde was everything and more I never knew I needed to see this weekend. The whole movie was insane, I loved it.

. Recommended Reading: An outstanding article on a website called 'High On Films' that goes into stunning detail about the 2023 movie "El Conde". The content was written by Amartya Acharya and titled "El Conde (2023) Movie Ending Explained - Is this Larrain's final say on Pinochet's reign in Chile?" It certainly made me appreciate the movie even more.

I have seen thousands of Films.... Almost NEVER, after watching one, can I say... "WOW!... This Movie REALLY did NOT remind me of ANY OTHER!"

Hmmmmm.... Just WHERE.... to BEGIN!?!?!?

Let´s tackle what is EASY first.... Black & White photography... Very appropriate choice! Makes for a Movie reminiscent of those CLASSIC horror films of the 30´s & 40´s!

It is... Of Course... A CHILEAN Film! Perhaps I am going out on a limb just a bit here... But having tutored a score of Chilean students during my 12 Years spent living in Orlando... Presenting Augusto Pinochet as a Blood Thirsty Vampire will bring quite an ironic smile to most Chilean faces... and to those of many other Hispanics... As well as to Non-Hispanics, I´m sure!

Production values were extremely high! Since EL CONDE was basically produced for NETFLIX, my hat is off to their obvious participation and surpervision... A most well deserved...KUDOS!!! Editing, Cinematography, Sets and Set Decoration, Casting, and all other production elements... ALL IMPECCABLE!

And... Talk about an ORIGINAL STORY!!! Absolutely INSPIRED! Just no other word for the incredibly bizarre combination of utterly disparate elements that genuinely place EL CONDE in a stand alone category I would venture to say is found in but, Perhaps, a handful out of a THOUSAND other films!!!

What a superb ensemble Cast! Exquisite Performances that seemed so spot on believable and natural! Just watch and You will see how just how stunningly fleshed out each and every characterization is!

Racking my brain for something.... ANYTHING... NEGATIVE about EL CONDE!?!? All I can come up with is this: If You cannot wrap Your head around the totally off-the-wall basic premise of Augusto Pinochet the VAMPIRE... It probably will result in Your inability to just RELAX and ENJOY the Movie!

So... PLEASE! Bear that in mind... Should You decide to WATCH!

ENJOY!/DISFRUTELA!

I picked this movie on a whim, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. It takes a while, but the movie certainly hits you over the head with its metaphor. That those in power, especially neoliberals like Margaret Thatcher, and dictators like Pinochet are vampires. It's certainly not subtle in its critique of power. The plot itself is silly and over the top. The film itself is also silly and over the top. But it's well written, well acted and well directed. I think if you don't know anything about this film before you go into it, it's probably better, but you've read this review, so it's probably too late, and I hope you enjoy it anyway.