Eh, disregarding the dozen or so people seen coming out of hiding at daybreak- characters who’s story we did not see at all, there were six?
The ex-wife and the brother: I agree. I fully expected them to live.
The little girl hiding under the car with the ex-wife: I expected her to live, but then again, she wasn’t introduced until nearly the end of the movie. She was a “new” character so I hadn’t spent the entire movie watching her saying “yeah, sure, no way she’s gonna die.”
Sherrif Eben (sorta): I thought it could go either way, with him either surviving or dying a “noble death”. I didn’t expect him to go willingly into vampirism to gain battle powers.
O.K., that’s four. The two left were Two entirely generic unheroic women with no character story: These two could easily have been meat- especially at the point that the suggest making a run to save their own skins rather than follow the hero’s plan (an otherwise sure sign in a horror film that you’re gonna get killed).
On the flip-side however, although there were people who lived who weren’t “guaranteed” to live, there was no one who died who I didn’t expect to die- both those that died noble deaths and those that died stupidly or cowardly.
“Turning” seemed to start right away and become complete in short time- for everyone who turned. But it’s made clear that the turned person’s sense of self and memories remained.
No doubt, over time, the bloodlust becomes unbearable such that it destroys the vampire’s sense of humanity. But early on, it seems perfectly reasonable that one can feel the torment of bloodlust while recognizing the horror of harming others.
The guy who had been hiding under his house, although not understanding what had happened to him, had turned long before Eben found him. He had been experiencing an increasing bloodlust over time, yet still did not set out on a kill-crazy rampage. It wasn’t until “meat” was placed right in front of him that he attacked- but more out of not being able to stop himself, rather than out of a disregard for human life.
The little girl in the shop, we have no idea how long it had been since she had turned.
The guy bit by the little girl had been feeling the effects for hours, recognized that he was not only a goner but also would become a threat to those around him. He volunteered his own death.
The last guy turned, the guy who had killed his family, welcomed death before he had even really finished turning.
Based on the model set up by the previous examples of humans being turned, I think it was entirely realistic for Eben to control himself as he did for as long as he did.
Yep. That was in the movie.