After years of silence, the Underworld franchise returns from the shadows with Rise of the Vampire — a sleek, savage installment that dives headfirst into the ancient bloodlines and dark politics that have defined its world. This is not just a continuation; it’s a rebirth, drenched in gothic grandeur and mythic fury. At its center, once again, is Kate Beckinsale’s Selene — colder, wiser, deadlier than ever.
Set against a crumbling supernatural order, the film begins with a prophecy whispered through vampire enclaves: a primordial being has risen, a vampire whose blood predates even the Elders. Known only as Varik, this ancient force is played with icy menace by Richard Armitage, bringing a calm, terrifying gravitas to a villain whose goal isn’t balance — but dominion.
Selene, having withdrawn from both Lycans and vampires alike, is drawn back into the fray by an attack that leaves entire covens decimated. The scenes of destruction are haunting — not just in scale, but in intimacy. These are not mere war zones; they’re bloodied mausoleums of lost power and forgotten codes. Selene quickly realizes this is not the work of Lycans. This is something far older.
The film thrives in expanding its mythos. Flashbacks, ancient scrolls, and cryptic visions reveal the origin of Varik — a child of betrayal, sealed away by the first council of vampires for embracing forbidden powers. His return represents not just a personal vendetta, but a reckoning. He seeks to erase the diluted bloodlines and rebuild a pure vampire empire — with Selene either as his queen… or his conquest.
Beckinsale slips effortlessly back into the leather and fury of Selene, but this time, there’s more depth beneath the icy exterior. Memories of her lost daughter haunt her, and in a surprising twist, echoes of her child’s power may hold the key to stopping Varik. Selene is no longer just a warrior — she’s a reluctant mother figure, a legend burdened with legacy.
The action is kinetic and visceral, with director Corin Hardy (The Nun) bringing a more horror-infused touch to the franchise’s trademark stylized violence. A midnight siege in a crumbling monastery, a moonlit duel atop a frozen lake, and a brutal blood-rite in the ruins of the first vampire city stand out as signature set pieces — choreographed chaos with teeth.
New allies emerge, including a rogue Lycan scholar named Jarek (Daniel Kaluuya) who believes peace may only come through an ancient hybrid ritual, and a vampire priestess (Anya Taylor-Joy) who guards secrets that could shift the war. These characters are more than exposition devices — they breathe new energy into the familiar world and hint at future directions.
But the emotional center remains Selene — torn between duty and identity, vengeance and mercy. Her final confrontation with Varik is not just a battle of strength, but of belief. In a beautifully haunting moment, Selene chooses not annihilation but sacrifice — unleashing an ancient power within herself that binds Varik in eternal stasis, at the cost of her own fading mortality.
The ending is bittersweet. The supernatural world is fractured, but not destroyed. A fragile truce forms in Selene’s absence, with whispers that her spirit still guards the threshold between night and chaos. As the screen fades to black, a single raven flies across a blood-red moon — a quiet, chilling promise that the war may be over, but the darkness is never done.
Underworld 6: Rise of the Vampire doesn’t just resurrect the franchise — it elevates it. With mythic ambition, emotional resonance, and relentless action, it proves there’s still blood to be spilled — and stories worth telling — in the ever-hungry night.
Watch movie:
*Content is hosted on a partner site.
Suggested content for you, More in last
Related Posts
