Ryan Prows Talks Vampire Cops and LA's Dark Side

January used to mean throwaway horror movies hitting theaters. Not anymore. Ryan Prows' Night Patrol proves that point with a vampire cop thriller that's anything but disposable. The film stars Justin Long and Jermaine Clement as part of an ensemble cast exploring LA's police force and the supernatural threats lurking within it.

Prows sat down to discuss his latest project, which follows an LAPD officer who discovers a secret task force that might be more dangerous than the criminals they're supposed to catch.

Building LA's Underbelly

"I'm from Atlanta originally and moved out here to go to film school," Prows explains. "Growing up, like everybody, we just loved LA movies. And specifically for this movie, there's almost like a subgenre of LA cop movies."

The director wanted to shoot LA for LA, not some generic city backdrop. "That means, resource-wise, having less days to shoot. But it kind of weighs itself out because then we've got amazing LA crews that can get it done."

Prows drew inspiration from lesser-known LA films like Domino and Rampart, plus the TV series The Shield. "The sun itself makes this awesome glow, which is kind of hysterical and awful at the same time. I feel like that kind of sums up the city too."

Authentic Community Voices

The film's grounded approach required extensive community outreach. Prows connected with leaders in Watts and South Central, including Skip Townsend from Second Call and members of Ceasefire.

"We wanted that to be part of the community; the community being able to vouch for it and vet us a bit," he says. Rapper YG joined as executive producer, helping design gang names and neighborhoods for the fictional world.

"We initially had real gang names for all the sets and all that, then it became a 'Why not design our own thing?' and creating the full world ourselves."

Horror as Social Commentary

Prows sees horror as the perfect vehicle for tackling serious issues. "Horror is, no matter what, political and social from the jump. You can tackle these bigger issues, but it can still be fun, and it won't feel like you're watching someone soapbox to you."

The film addresses complex relationships with law enforcement without pulling punches. "The movie doesn't hide what it's about or what we're bringing up. There's no strawmen. It is what it is; it's just the world we live in."

Night Patrol opens in theaters January 15, bringing fresh blood to both vampire lore and police procedurals.