While reviewers generally received the film negatively, criticizing the overacting and lack of character development, a smaller number of reviewers praised elements such as the film's stylish Gothic visuals, the "icy English composure" in Kate Beckinsale's performance, and the extensively worked-out vampire–werewolf mythology that serves as the film's backstory.
For generations, a secret war has raged between vampires and Lycans, an ancient species of werewolf. Selene, a vampire belonging to the Death Dealers, a group specialized in assassinating Lycans, tracks two Lycans. Selene's motivation goes beyond duty; she also wants revenge because, about 600 years ago, Lycans slaughtered her family when she was a child. The vampires believe they defeated the werewolves many centuries ago and killed their leader, Lucian, and that they must kill the surviving Lycans. Selene locates the Lycans' den and learns that they have developed a new kind of bullet capable of killing the vampires.
Later, Selene arrives at the mansion of the vampire coven to which she belongs and, recounting these events, urges an attack on the Lycans, but the vampire regent, Kraven, dismisses her proposal. Selene determines that the pair of Lycans may have been following a human, Michael Corvin, and continues her investigation. In an Lycan lair, a scientist named Singe tests blood from kidnapped descendants of the ancient Corvinus family, trying to find a pure source of the ancient and powerful Corvinus bloodline. Soon after Selene finds Michael, the pair is attacked by Lycans, including Lucian; Lucian bites Michael, but Selene helps Michael escape and the two become attracted to each other.
Selene discovers that Kraven was the only witness to Lucian's supposed death. Sensing a conspiracy, she wakes a dormant powerful elder vampire,Viktor, who has been hibernating. Viktor is angered by his early awakening, as it was Markus' turn to rule the coven. Viktor believes Kraven and orders Selene to acquiesce to the vampire hierarchy. Kraven has secretly planned to kill a vampire elder, Amelia, and her companions, with Lucian's help.
Selene informs Michael about the feud and her past. She then binds him, fearing that he will kill innocent people after he changes into his Lycan form at the coming night's full moon. Selene captures Singe while Michael is captured by Lycans. Selene returns to the mansion with Singe, who admits to Viktor that the Lycans are trying to combine the bloodlines of the two species with the Corvinus Strain to create a powerful hybrid. After Kraven flees the mansion because Singe has revealed his cooperation with Lucian, news arrives that Amelia, who was coming to awaken Markus, has been killed by Lycans. Viktor kills Singe and tasks Selene to kill Michael.
While Michael is being held captive, he learns from Lucian that Viktor's daughter, Sonja, and Lucian were lovers. Lucian tells Michael that the Lycans were slaves to the vampires. When Viktor learned that his daughter had been impregnated by a Lycan, he killed her to prevent any crossing of the two species, which led to the war. Such a crossing would create a hybrid creature that would be more powerful than both the vampires and Lycans, according to Lucian.
Selene arrives with a group of Death Dealers to kill the Lycans and Kraven for his treachery. Kraven shoots Lucian with a newly designed bullet intended to kill by poisoning a Lycan's bloodstream. Selene rescues Michael who is shot by Kraven. Kraven tells Selene it was Viktor who killed her family. Lucian injures Kraven and tells Selene to bite Michael to transmit the vampire virus into his bloodstream. Selene complies and Kraven flees after killing Lucian. Viktor arrives and admits that he killed Selene's family and reveals the truth of his love for Sonja and that his choice to have her killed was to protect the vampires and that he must also kill Michael to protect the vampires; Selene eventually kills Viktor with his sword. Selene and Michael leave the Lycan lair, now enemies of both species. At the mansion, blood from Singe's corpse seeps into the sarcophagus of the remaining Elder, Markus, a carrier of the original Corvinus Strain.
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