Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

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  • Opened October 23, 2009 
  • 1 hr 48 min
  • PG-13 | sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language

  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 12+. More on child suitability

  • 16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson), got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That’s the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty. Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady (Salma Hayek) and a gigantic barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what’s left of his humanity. Full synopsis

  • Cast: John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Jessica Carlson, Michael Cerveris, Ray Stevenson
  • Director: Paul Weitz
  • Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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Fan Reviews

Must Go!
Undead and wrongly Underrated

by shelbycanna123

I love this movie. I didn't know about it until about 2 months ago, but I really wish it would have been more widely advertised because I would have loved to have seen it when it was released. John C....

Must Go!
I love this movie!

by Pirates140

OMG THIS IS AN AWESOME MOVIE!...

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Critic Reviews

63
New Orleans Times-Picayune
| Mike Scott

Trades breathless romance for a fun "Ripley's Believe it or Not"-flavored weirdness. Read full review

63
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
| Joe Williams

Reilly is very funny as the sarcastic mentor, and director Paul Weitz strikes a loopy tone in the scenes at the freak encampment. Read full review

63
USA Today
| Claudia Puig

It's creepy but tinged with sarcasm and infused with silly fun. Read full review

60
New York Daily News
| Elizabeth Weitzman

While "Twilight" will make more money and get more attention, the darkly comic Cirque du Freak boasts the shaggy charm of the natural underdog. Read full review

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Chris Massoglia as Darren Shan and John C. Reilly as Larten Crepsley in "The Vampire's Assistant."