The theater darkens as a bloody scene sprawls across the screen, eerie, soft music echoing through the aisles. The soft young man’s voice lulls the audience into a sense of security as he talks, while said man spears others on sticks.

If you’ve been to theaters lately, you may guess that I’m talking about “Dracula: Untold.” At 92 minutes, it’s not a particularly long film, and it wasn’t particularly outstanding. Starring Luke Evans (of “Immortals” and “Clash of the Titans”) and Sarah Gadon, the movie isn’t very fulfilling.

Though it’s marketed as an action flick, it doesn’t really hold to that label, instead focusing on the romance and backstory of Vlad the Impaler. The action scenes that do make it in are all a blur: instead of actually seeing the fighting, you get to watch human blurs and the messy aftermath of the fights.

The camera work, while it did have its moments, wasn’t the best. There so many close-ups on faces that what may have had impact in the start or in another movie gradually lost its appeal. However, the color palette, greys and browns and dark colors, made the blood and the few bright moments full of illumination stand out. The pacing was nice enough and the acting solid.

The lone woman who did have a leading role, Mirena (Sarah Gadon), didn’t have much depth or character outside her family and love, and instead was there as something to give Vlad (Luke Evans) motivation.

The movie scores well drama-wise, but it lacks any historical accuracy, and most of the cast is even whiter and more male-dominated than anything on TV. The writers do not seem to have done any research: if we’re discussing Bram Stoker’s works, when did silver become a vampiric weakness?

Its ending is also very obvious sequel bait, but it’s executed well. However, the movie’s real saving grace is its beautiful soundtrack, done by Rajim Djawdi (also known for the soundtracks to “Pacific Rim” and “Game of Thrones”).

The music maintained action and suspense where the actual film lacked. The songs “Dracula Untold” and “Vlad vs 1000” in particular make one’s heart throb with excitement. Other songs have a gothic choral influence, and some others have a very romantic feel to them, suiting what seems to be the real plot. Altogether, the music is the film’s saving grace, and you should give it a listen.

In short, a solid 8 out of 10.  Hopefully, a potential sequel will fix its errors with representation. So if you like vampires, people getting impaled, an incredible soundtrack, and solid quotes (“Men don’t fear swords. They fear monsters”), give it a watch. Not recommended for those with fears of spiders.