Plot
The film starts with a
vampire, Jerry Dandrige (
Colin Farrell), killing an entire family in a suburb of
Las Vegas, Nevada. The film then focuses on Charley Brewster (
Anton Yelchin), a teenager who discovers that a new neighbor is moving in next door to him. Upon arriving at school, Charley's former friend, "Evil" Ed Lee (
Christopher Mintz-Plasse), informs him that many fellow students have gone missing. Charley disregards this, but Ed blackmails him into coming to an old friend's house -- the same house seen at the beginning -- to check if he is alright.
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When Charley goes home after school, his mother (
Toni Collette) introduces him to Jerry, who is the new neighbor. Charley eventually remembers to meet up with Ed, who informs him that his new neighbor is a vampire. Charley becomes fed up with Ed and leaves. On his way home, Ed is harassed by a bully (
Dave Franco). He manages to escape but is confronted by Jerry, who convinces him to become a vampire and bites him. The next day, Charley realizes that Ed is missing and decides to go to his house to investigate.
As Jerry begins to attack more people throughout the neighborhood, Charley goes into Jerry's house and finds out that he is keeping all of his victims in secret rooms. Charley manages to save one of his victims but she burns in the sunlight during their escape, as she had been "turned" after being bitten. Charley decides to go to Vegas magician Peter Vincent (
David Tennant), a supposed expert on vampires. Unfortunately, Vincent apparently does not take him seriously, and kicks him out.
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Jerry comes to Charley's house the next night and complains to his mother, but Charley convinces her not to let him in. Reasoning that if there's no house, he needs no invitation to enter in order to claim his victims, Jerry ignites the natural gas in the house and blows it up. Charley, his mother, and his girlfriend, Amy Peterson (
Imogen Poots), barely escape with their lives. Jerry chases them with his car until being staked by Charley's mother, who faints afterwards.
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Charley's mother is then admitted to a hospital. At the hospital, Charley gets a call from Peter telling him to come over. Peter gives Charley advice on how to defeat Jerry, but midway through the conversation Ed (now a vampire) shows up. Charley and Ed fight while Vincent hides in his panic room. Amy manages to fight off Jerry as Charley kills Ed. The two run into a club where they get separated in the crowd. Amy is bitten and taken by Jerry.
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The next day Charley tells Peter that he will go after Jerry and he needs his help. Peter refuses and reveals both of his parents were killed by a vampire of Jerry's tribe (later revealed to be Jerry himself). He does, however, give Charley a stake that will kill Jerry and turn all of his victims back into humans. Charley goes to fight Jerry at his house where Peter decides to join him after all. The two break all of the windows to let sunlight in.
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They are led into Jerry's basement where they are attacked by many of Jerry's victims, now vampires, including Amy. Charley, having outfitted himself in a flame-retardant suit, lights himself on fire in order to burn and disorient Jerry while he tries to stake him. Peter assists him by shooting a hole in the floor above to allow sunlight in which burns Jerry. Charley quickly stabs Jerry in the heart, killing him instantly and returning all of his victims to their human form. Afterwards, Charley's mother recovers from the hospital and goes to shop for a new house. Meanwhile, Charley and Amy are seen lying in Peter Vincent's penthouse about to make love.
