A New York man, Sam, has just split with his girlfriend. He is lonely, but soon becomes interested in a stranger, Anna, whom he meets at a party. However, strange things start to happen and Anna may be hiding something.It is an interesting and admirable idea to make a horror film based on mood and character rather than gore and nudity. It is much harder as fear has to be conjured up from seemingly innocent things. Horror films of this nature require more build-up and convincing drama so that they can turn it into something frightening later. The drama must be convincing so that the fear spawned out if it is also genuine."Habit" tries to get at just that, but it doesn't quite make it though. Certain sequences are really drawn out and by the end almost anyone could feel the fact that the film could be brisker instead of the drawn out hour and fifty minutes. For one the several nightmare sequences are well done, but they aren't really connected and the mysterious aura around Anna doesn't seem complete. However, despite the film's shortcomings it doesn't pad itself with sucker punches and cheap thrills. The sex scenes in particular are non-stylized yet strangely erotic.Good honest try with no cop-out, but still not all it could have been. --- 6/10Not Rated. The sexual content makes this one for audiences 16+

Part two of Fessenden's "Trilogy of Horror." After watching this and "No Telling" together, I think Fessenden sets out to convey a message with the backdrop of a horror movie. Unfortunately, it isn't ever clear what exactly he is trying to say! Still, I have a hard time disliking his ambitious work. Fessenden directed, wrote, and starred in this one. He has an offbeat presence that somehow manages to be simultaneously off-putting and charming. He does an outstanding job of portraying Sam, a man falling apart mentally and physically who turns to addiction. At first it's alcohol, and then kinky sex with a new mystery woman that gets a little bloody--but he can't give it up. The atmosphere and set (NYC at night), as well as the depressing music, succeed in making Sam's downfall seem believable. I really appreciate Fessenden's attention to sound--the best things about his films, I think. That said, this movie isn't very scary, the message gets muddled towards the ending, and the lead actress delivers a flat and forgettable performance. Still, it's a very admirable low-budget horror effort.

Sam(Larry Fessenden, who also wrote, directed, & edited this feature)is an alcoholic manager of a café, coming off a relationship that is lingering awkwardly, meets an alluring mysterious woman named Anna(Meredith Snaider)at a friend's Halloween party. They later meet for a series of passionate sexual encounters..their first featuring an intense bite on Sam's lip by Anna. Soon Sam's friends begin to disappear one by one, while his physical condition begins to worsen. We see that Anna may just be a vampire when, during a sexual encounter in a hospital supply room she bites him lustfully on the arm. In another very quick moment which reveals even more about Anna is after Sam has spoken a dedication speech for his late father..she has taken the face of Sam's past lover, Liza(..this is quick so you must notice it when it comes;we can see that she has taken the identity of someone people at that function might've seen in Sam's life before). But, the most revealing aspect of Anna is how she hides her entire existence(work, personal things, family)only desiring to constantly have relations with Sam with most being of a sexual nature. But, even though Sam finds these certain developments out during time, including his worsening physical state, he does not seem to care as long as he can continue to have those moments with Anna.Horror fans might know Fessenden the most for his directorial effort, Wendigo, but I like this film even more. It has that "Martin" vibe(the George Romero tale of a vampire)with Fessenden using authentic NYC locations shooting and unfamiliars in the acting department. The cast is quite good for being unknown(..these are probably actors and friends he has worked with in the past), but the startling aspect of his story-telling to me is how graphic the sex is between Fessenden and Snaider. Snaider fulfills her role quite well providing a vamp who we might could understand why Sam wouldn't wish to relinquish his passion with her. The film's location work might remind many of indie directors like Ed Burns and Noah Baumbach who often like making films surrounding NYC and having "regular" looking people in them. But, I think this film is closer to Romero who likes using rather regular looking people who we don't see in films unlike those I named above. Much like "Martin", this film feels like a documentary of a doomed loser who has finally found something exciting in his life, despite the consequences that might occur later.I wrote this bad review pretty much as a heads-up to horror fans who are looking for a different kind of vampire tale. "Habit" is quite a low-budget wonder where Fessenden provides us with realistic flats and the rather ordinary places that ordinary people might frequent in NYC.

This slow moving independent film turned out be a great genre vampire flick with a cinema verite feel. Despite a low budget, the acting, soundtrack and New York location evokes a mood of gritty alienation as Sam spirals towards self destruction. If you enjoy horror and you don't expect a Hollywood blockbuster, check it out.7/10