Have you ever heard about the Radleys, a family of vampires living under the radar in the human world, trying to keep their blood-sucking urges on hold? But, like all cravings, things get tricky, and it’s only a matter of time before their hunger pushes them to the edge. Unlike the classic vampire stories of Dracula, these vampires don’t just roam the night hunting for blood. They’ve learned to fit in. In “The Radleys,” directed by Euros Lyn and penned by Talitha Stevenson, Jo Brand, and Matt Haig, we learn how this family tries to control their urge.
The film’s packed with talent, too, featuring Kelly Macdonald, Damian Lewis, Sophia Di Martino, Steven Waddington, Bo Bragason, Jay Lycurgo, Shaun Parkes, and Madeleine Power. “The Radleys” is a refreshing take on the vampire genre—less old-school gore, more modern-day struggles.
The Radleys (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Who are the Radleys?
The Radleys family consists of Rowan Radley, his sister, Clara Radley, matriarch Helen Radley, and patriarch Peter Radley. Rowan is a young teenager who is interested in boys. He has a crush on a boy named Evan. But he has a hard time confessing his feelings to him. The Radleys are a family of vampires who live in a quaint but beautiful housing society. Earlier, the Radley family used to survive on blood. However, since it isn’t readily available and getting it is hard, they shift to becoming vegan.
But this change in diet didn’t do them any good. It turned their skin pale and made them sick. More often than not, Clara finds herself head down in the toilet, throwing out what she has just eaten because her body has a hard time digesting it. However, it appears that Rowan and Clara don’t know that they’re vampires.
Even though the Radleys are well known in the area, they’re branded as “freaks” by a small population who thinks the Radleys are much more than they let out. At the start of the film, we see one of their neighbors, Jered, keeping tabs on them and following Clara and Rowan wherever they go. Jered wife went missing a couple of years ago, and he thinks the Radleys have something to do with it.
How Does Clara & Rowan Come to Know About Their Lineage?
Things turn interesting when Clara is stopped by Stuart Harper, who tries to force himself on her. To save herself, Clara has to kill Stuart and feed on his blood. Clara panics, and she calls her parents for help. Helen, who, after seeing the spilled blood, can’t stop her cravings and begs Peter to take the boy’s body home and drain his blood to later feed themselves. However, Peter stops her, saying that once they start doing it again, there will be no going back. The entire Radley family craves blood but has abstained from it by following a vegan diet and yoga. However, it appears that it is not working.
Left with no choice, Helen reveals to her kids that they’re vampires and explains the doubts Clara has about her being a monster. The reason for their pale skin and not feeling well all the time is that they’ve unknowingly shifted to a vegan diet. To make them better understand, Peter hands them a book that contains basic information one needs to know after they’re told that they’re a vampire! Pun intended!!
Who is Will, & What Does He Do?
Peter calls Will, his twin brother, and asks him to come see him. Peter also makes him aware of their newfound situation, which, if not taken care of, will lead Clara to be caught and arrested. Unlike. Peter, Will hasn’t chosen sobriety and still feeds on human blood. This is why his skin doesn’t look pale, and he looks fit as an athlete. Helen doesn’t like Will and asks Peter to get him out. But later understands that Will is the only man who can help Clara and save her from spending the rest of her life in jail.
Will isn’t anything like Peter, and he thinks that his brother’s vow of sobriety is completely unnecessary. Being born as a vampire who gets to feed on human blood is the best gift he has ever gotten. It also appears that Will and Helen used to have a fling, and even though Helen is now with Peter, she cannot forget the times she used to spend with Will.
However, this isn’t real love; it is because of the conversion. It was Will who converted Helen from a human to a vampire, and because of this, according to vampire law, she’ll always be craving Will. This is not love but obsession. It’s the reason why Helen doesn’t allow Peter to touch her but often thinks about Will when she is alone.
In a span of a few days, Will takes care of the dead body and disposes of it at multiple places to make sure it is not found. When two female cops come to interview Clara about the missing boy, Will uses some mind control trick to make them believe that Clara Radley has nothing to do with Stuart Harper’s disappearance. This greatly impresses Clara, as she thinks sooner or later, she’ll also learn how to control and influence other people’s minds. Helen also starts to feel attracted to Will.
Why does Rowan & Peter Decide to Turn Other People into Vampires?
Rowan has always been in love with Evan and hates the fact that he has been hanging out with Clara instead of him. After gaining a ton of self-confidence after spending some time with Will and drinking a few vials of blood, he tries to charm Evan, but it doesn’t work. This leaves Rowan with only one choice, which is to convert Evan. If Rowan converts Evan by biting him, Evan will turn into a vampire. As per vampire law, Evan will forever crave his converter, as Helen craves for Will. But Rowan changes his mind when he can’t come to harm Evan.
Peter Radley also decides to do the same. He knows that his wife Helen feels nothing for him, as he isn’t the one who has converted her. Therefore, Peter frees Helen from their sham, pretend marriage and decides to convert Lorna, who has been trying to woo him for a few months. However, like his son, Peter also changes his mind.
The Radleys (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
What Happens to Will & Evan?
Jered has always been suspicious about the Radleys ever since his wife went missing. When he learns that another boy, Stuart Harper, has vanished without a trace, he is convinced that the Radleys have claimed another victim. Jered hates the Radleys, and this is why he has often asked his son Evan to stay clear of them.
Evan cannot remember how many times his father has told him that the Radleys are dangerous and blood-sucking vampires. However, Evan believes that his father has been consumed with paranoia ever since his wife went missing. Jered also talks to someone online who shares the same idea that the Radleys are vampires.
While searching the woods with other volunteers for signs of Stuart Harper, Jered finds Stuart’s glasses and Clara Radley’s fingerprints on them. But when Jered takes this to the cops, due to Will’s mind control trick, they burst out in laughter. Unfortunately, Jered’s world comes crumbling down when he finds his son in the bathroom bleeding out, with teeth marks on his neck. This was Will’s doing, who has been wanting to feed on the boy ever since he arrived in town.
When Rowan learns that Will has bitten Evan, Rowan tries to kill him. Peter tries to intervene, and Helen has to kill Will to save her family. Jered also realizes that the only way to save his son Evan is to let him turn into a vampire. He takes Evan to the Radleys, and Evan feeds on Rowan’s blood and survives. However, this means that Evan’s life as a human is now over, and from this point on, he is a vampire. This also means that Evan will fall head over heels for Rowan, thanks to the law of vampire conversion.
