Touched by Eternity is screening as part of Fantastic Fest 2024, which runs from September 19 to September 26.

The opening of Touched by Eternity suggests that the secret to immortal life is yeast. In particular, yeast KC1822V, which is the subject of experimental research to test its life-sustaining properties. A man who is never given a name, but he claims everyone calls him Fatso (Andris Keišs), lives alone in a trailer, watching video podcasts on the study of this yeast and purchasing it by the box load. He eats the yeast raw, despite the plea of scientists that doing so could be dangerous. This disclaimer proves to be, at least partially, true, as when the courier delivering the latest shipment curiously tries some himself, he keels over with foam bubbling from his mouth.

None of this is of too much consequence to the plot of Touched by Eternity, the quirky vampire film from Mārcis Lācis. Fatso stumbles upon a fitting substitute for immortal yeast: Egons and Carlos (Ivars Krasts and Edgars Samītis) two pansexual vampires that show up immediately following the delivery carrier’s poisoning in search of a screwdriver. Soon, Fatso is thrust into the world of Latvian vampirism. While reticent to join ranks with the vampires, his initial taste of blood seems to ignite a hunger in him (blood to vampires in this film appears to act like some sort of party drug; that, or the thrill of the kill alone is enough to propel the vampires into a state of ecstasy).

Touched by Eternity rides with a specific energy. It is meandering and partially episodic, with Egons and Carlos returning to the trailer on multiple nights trying to convince Fatso to become a vampire. During these episodes, people are killed and odd actions are enacted (e.g., Carlos begins playing a trumpet poorly and marches through the woods). Elsewhere, a community of vampires learn about their own cultural history (for some reason) and go out at night to create random debauchery.

For a long time, none of this amounts to much. Fatso eventually finds himself among the vampires, who live in an abandoned barn. They have anointed him “the chosen one,” a title that (like all good narrative heroes) he politely refuses. The entire ordeal is meant to illustrate something of an existential journey. Why would this lonely, self-proclaimed anti-social man who has been actively pursuing eternal life refuse a direct call to eternity? Perhaps he fears losing something else. Perhaps he gained something meaningful en route to this moment.

There are hints that both are true, to some extent. But the film focuses more on the oddity of the insular world it has created (rave vampires, fringe conspiracy podcasts, isolated hermits, etc.) than on fully fleshing out what is going on inside the mind of the mild mannered man at its center. As the film approaches its conclusion, it provides evocative final shots, but it does not do enough to resolve for the audience what this journey meant for Fatso.

Touched by Eternity: C+

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As always, thanks for reading!

—Alex Brannan (Letterboxd, Facebook)