Bloodlines deepen. Shadows rise. And immortality has a new price.
After years of silence, the Underworld franchise bursts back onto the screen with Underworld 6: Rise of the Vampire, a moody, visceral continuation of the centuries-old war between vampires and Lycans. Directed by Anna Foerster (returning after her work on Underworld: Blood Wars), the sixth installment offers a blood-drenched cocktail of gothic spectacle, mythological expansion, and kinetic action—though not without its flaws.
Plot & World-Building:
Set several decades after the events of Blood Wars, Rise of the Vampire introduces a fractured vampire society grappling with internal rebellion and the return of an ancient power. Selene (Kate Beckinsale), once a rogue Death Dealer, is pulled back from exile when whispers of a “Primordial Vampire” emerge—a being older and more powerful than even the original Elders. Meanwhile, the Lycans, under a new, cunning leader named Raikus (played with quiet menace by Dan Stevens), seek an alliance with human biotech corporations, creating hybrid monstrosities capable of exterminating both clans.
The film expands the mythology with surprising depth. We finally learn more about the origin of the vampire curse, tracing it back to a secret bloodline hidden in the Carpathian Mountains. Flashbacks to medieval Europe provide some of the film’s most visually stunning sequences, drenched in candlelight, betrayal, and crimson-soaked snow.
Performances:
Kate Beckinsale returns with steely grace, blending icy lethality with moments of reluctant vulnerability. Selene remains the anchor of the franchise, and Beckinsale clearly hasn’t lost her flair for trench-coated elegance and razor-fast combat.
Newcomers like Anya Chalotra (as Lysara, a vampire scholar-turned-rebel) and Charles Dance (reprising his role as Thomas in spectral form) add emotional weight and gravitas. Dan Stevens’ Raikus brings a refined, Machiavellian presence that elevates the Lycan threat to a new intellectual level.
