Deafula was not intended for me, by design. Shot entirely in ASL, the version I have is the version adapted for hearing audiences, which has subtitles and occasional sound and narration.
It’s still a mostly silent enterprise. The characters speak ASL largely to each other, and not the camera. The credits even differentiate the hearing people who worked on the film from the non-hearing people.
The main character (Steve) is a preacher’s son who periodically transforms into a bloodsucking fiend, Deafula. The movie is a mixture of him doing normal human things, and then Deafula doing vampiric things. Deafula can dominate the minds of humans, but is neither especially fast nor especially strong nor especially attuned to the creatures of the night.
Steve needs regular blood transfusions, and has ever since he was born. This is for mysterious reasons that no one can explain. Steve also likes to eat peanuts in the shell. This is for plot reasons.
There is a strange subplot involving a detective from England who was involved in the staking of Dracula. This detective has come over to America and is working with the police — although the officer he works with is alternatively rude and dismissive to him.
The creepiest moment in the movie is when Steve goes to visit a friend of his late mother’s, who has become a powerful witch. Her assistant is “mute” — which in this context means he has no hands. She explains that Satan took her assistant’s hands, and is performing evil with them.
The movie ends with Steve in his father’s church having a passionate ASL soliloquy slash prayer.
Amy summarizes the movie well with “Cinematically, they’re doing a lot of sophisticated things. It’s just boring as hell.”