Los Angeles might be more commonly known as the City of Angels, but in "Night Teeth,"
it's actually an underground vampire kingdom.
The young adult thriller introduces audiences to a world where humans only think they rule
the streets, but it's actually a barrage of bloodsuckers who call the shots.
Up until now, these vampires have been content to split their power, dividing up L.A. into
five major territories.
However, their treaty with the humans and each other is just one bite away from being
broken.
And unfortunately for Benny, he's picked the worst night possible to substitute as a chauffeur
for his big brother, Jay.
Not only is Jay secretly part of the group that tries to keep any folks with fangs in
check, but there's now a bloody turf war underway between the vampire factions, and Benny's
brother -- and, by extension, Benny -- is right in the middle of it all.
It doesn't take him long to discover that his two passengers for the evening, Blaire
and Zoe, aren't just party-hopping across the city for fun.
"Hey."
"This isn't what it looks like."
"Okay, I'm just going to--"
Benny's complicated connection to Blaire is
presented beautifully by actors Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Debby Ryan, who are electric throughout
the feature.
But there's one scene in particular that encapsulates just how much power the two bring to every
single second of screen time they share.
From the moment Benny meets Blaire in "Night Teeth," he can't help but be a bit awkward
around her.
"Yeah, I'm just going to stop talking because I feel like I'm making it worse now."
He's only human, after all, and Lendeborg portrays his bumbling moments with likability.
Still, Blaire seems to see some potential in him that even he doesn't.
So when Blaire and Zoe find themselves in a bit of hot water, Benny agrees to take them
to the home he shares with his own grandmother for some temporary cover.
By now, Benny knows full well what these two women are capable of, but he also knows that
Blaire has a heart, and he isn't afraid to open up to her in between all the moments
of mad carnage.
Ordinarily, bringing two gorgeous women home to find your grandmother waiting would be
humiliating, but these are extraordinary circumstances.
What really embarrasses Benny, though, is when he finds Blaire taking a peek through
his bedroom full of action figures and other memorabilia from his adolescence.
Instead of shrinking away in discomfort, though, Benny reveals a bit of previously untapped
swagger, which only intensifies the already kinetic chemistry between Ryan and Lendeborg.
Let's take a closer look at this "Night Teeth" scene to see why it makes us love Debby Ryan
and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. even more.
Before this moment, Benny and Blaire have already had a few meaningful exchanges, but
this scene reveals that Blaire respects Benny's talent.
After listening to his homemade music album and checking out his elaborate sound station,
Blaire pays Benny a compliment.
Instead of being his usual humble self, Lendeborg introduces a touch of confidence to his character.
"I want to do something, something with this.
It's more than fun.
I want to turn it into something real.
And when I do you can tell people that you're my first fan, so in a way, you're welcome."
"Oh, I can?"
"Yeah, you know, if you want."
"Well, I mean, for what it's worth I believe you.
It's really good.
You're clearly talented.
And you're a very good driver."
"Thanks."
This touch of sincerity amid all the teasing gives Lendeborg an opportunity to dig deeper
into Benny's interest in Blaire.
Ryan in turn gets a chance to truly ground her character through a story about how Blaire
and Zoe met.
"And I was just like a stray when I first moved here.
I didn't feel like I fit anywhere, and it was like she saw me.
She told me everything could be beautiful.
She said a bunch of stuff.
And then she turned me, and she gave me this life."
Even while standing apart, both Ryan and Lendeborg clearly show the newfound feelings between
these two complex characters.
And their body language, as they inch closer and closer together, lets us know that both
Blair and Benny feel seen by each other too.
"We need to leave."
"Yeah, cool."
Thanks for watching.
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