El Conde (2023)

Film and Plot Synopsis

After living for over two centuries, Augusto Pinochet is a vampire ready to die… but the vultures around him won’t let him go without one last bite. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2024 for Best Cinematography, this film is directed by Pablo Larraín and stars Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger, and Stella Gonet.

‘El Conde’ Movie Summary

Claude Pinoche (Clemente Rodriguez) is a royalist French solider in the 18^th century. Claude is also a vampire. After his undead nature is discovered, Claude survives an attempt on his life. Claude lives through and witnesses the French Revolution and the execution of Marie Antoinette. Claude fakes his own death and takes the decapitated head of Marie Antoinette before fleeing abroad. Over the next two centuries, Claude participates in the suppression of several revolutionary upheavals.

Claude eventually ends up in Chile in 1935 and joins the Chilean Army under the name Augusto Pinochet (Jaime Vadell). Over the years, Augusto rises through the ranks until he becomes a general. He eventually overthrows the socialist government of Salvador Allende in 1973 and installs himself as the country’s dictator. Augusto begins a family and insists that they refer to him as “The Court.” Eventually, Augusto leaves his government office in his old age. Authorities begin investigating his extreme wealth and human rights abuses after he leaves office so Augusto fakes his death for a second time and retires to a remote farm with his family.

Augusto is now an incredibly old vampire and has lost his will to live after existing for 250 years. Augusto’s wife Lucia (Gloria Münchmeyer) and his long-time butler Fyodor (Alfredo Casto) worry about him. However, Lucia begins an affair with Fyodor as Augusto shows no interest in her any longer. Lucia wishes to become a vampire to live forever, but Augusto refuses to bite her. Lucia tries to convince Fyodor to bite her since he was a white Russian that Augusto bit and turned into a vampire decades before. The rest of Augusto’s children simply worry about finding all of their father’s wealth before he passes on.

Fyodor takes up Augusto’s uniform and goes on a gruesome killing spree in Santiago to find and consume human hearts which keep vampires young. The family believes that Augusto is responsible for the deaths. Believing that Augusto is consuming hearts to live longer and anxious to receive their inheritance, Augusto’s children hire a nun, Carmen (Paula Luchsinger), to exorcise and kill Augusto under the guise of auditing the family’s wealth.

If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman. Margaret Thatcher (Stella Gonet)

However, the plan backfires as Carmen has her own agenda. Carmen’s presence, and her fluency in French, sparks a new desire for life in Augusto as he attempts to seduce Carmen. Augusto learns of the affair between Fyodor and Lucia but tolerates it as he has grown tired of his aging wife. Augusto dons his former uniform, flies to Santiago, and begins eating human hearts as well to regain his youth. Meanwhile, Carmen conducts extensive interviews with Augusto’s family members over their various legal troubles and finances. She assembles a dossier for the Catholic Church and hides it in her room.

A few days later, Carmen reveals her true identity as a nun to Augusto and tries to exorcise him. However, she is overwhelmed by his vampire presence and ends up having sex with him. During the encounter, Augusto bites Carmen and transforms her into a vampire. Once Lucia learns of Carmen’s transformation, she convinces Fyodor to bite her and make her into a vampire. The transformations prompt the arrival of Margaret Thatcher (Stella Gonet), who is revealed to be Augusto’s mother. She informs him that she abandoned him at an orphanage at birth after she was raped and bitten by a vampire. Margaret is jealous of Carmen’s claims to Augusto’s love. Margaret orders her son to kill the newly born vampire. Instead, Augusto shows off his wealth to Carmen. Carmen betrays Augusto and reveals that she has been feigning her attraction to him. Carmen informs Augusto that her conversion to a vampire was part of her mission on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church. It is revealed that she was tasked to infiltrate Augusto’s family and gather information on their corrupt dealings.

Fearful of Margaret and Augusto, Carmen flees. However, she is captured and guillotined by Fyodor, who also burns her dossier. Fyodor, Lucia, and Augusto’s children then attempt to kill Augusto and Margaret to gain their inheritance. However, Augusto kills Lucia by driving a stake through her heart and beheads Fyodor with a saw. Augusto and Margaret rejuvenate themselves with vampire hearts and leave to start a new life. Augusto’s children salvage what they can from the farm and leave via a boat. As they leave, a group of nuns arrive to look over the now emptied home and vacant property.