The Unwanted
| The Unwanted | |
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| Directed by | Bret Wood |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Bret Wood |
| Based on |
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Paul Mercer |
| Cinematography | Chris Tsambis |
| Edited by |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Unwanted is a 2014 American thriller film written and directed by Bret Wood. It is based on the novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu but was transposed from a Gothic tale set in Austria to a Southern Gothic setting. It stars Christen Orr in the title role, a woman who comes to a small town in the Southern US to investigate the mother she never knew. Along the way, she meets Laura (Hannah Fierman) and her father Troy (William Katt), locals who may know something about her mother. It premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival on March 31, 2014, and Kino International released it on DVD on July 14, 2015.
Carmilla arrives in South Carolina to investigate a woman named Millarca. The only information she has is an address, but Troy, the owner of the house, says nobody named Millarca has ever lived there. He offers to give Carmilla a ride into town, and she later coincidentally visits a restaurant where Troy's daughter, Laura, works. Curious, Laura presses for more details, and Carmilla reveals that Millarca is her mother, whom she never knew. Carmilla eventually becomes annoyed with Laura's questions and leaves, but Laura stops her to explain that her father once rented out a trailer. Carmilla requests public records at the police station, but they tell her it will take two business days.
At Laura's urging, Troy lets Carmilla stay at the trailer, which Troy reveals he once rented to Millarca. Laura invites Carmilla to hang out with her, and the two grow closer. Worried about Laura's increasing bond with Carmilla, Troy says Millarca was trouble and her daughter likely is, too. Laura becomes uncomfortable when Troy tries to kiss her, and he breaks down in tears as he says that she reminds him of her dead mother. Later, Troy explains that Millarca and Karen, Laura's mother, were also friends. Troy did not approve of their friendship and, as a devout Christian, believed Millarca was a bad influence. Troy tells Carmilla that her mother was a thief and left without paying rent. He suggests that she leave soon, as he does not want Laura to become too attached to Carmilla if she will be leaving town.
Before Carmilla leaves, she checks the police station. There, she discovers the police were called to Troy's house. In Millarca's statement, she says she was having a lesbian affair with Karen. Separately, Troy corroborates this with Laura, who has demanded the full story. Troy beat both women when he found that they were engaging in blood fetishism. He blamed Karen's mysterious ailment and eventual death on Millarca, whom he believes to have been a vampire who seduced Karen. Laura, who self-injures, excitedly tells Carmilla, who has not left town yet, that she now understands herself and her sexuality. The two begin a lesbian relationship that mirrors that of their mothers.
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