Paris Hilton ditches her blonde California girl look to become a gothic fantasy villain in her latest film role.

The socialite dons a black wig, leather bondage gear and dramatic make-up to play surgery-obsessed Amber Sweet in Repo!: The Genetic Opera.

After failing to wow critics in previous acting efforts in House Of Wax and The Hottie & The Nottie, Hilton has ditched the teen movies in a bid to prove herself as a serious actress.

Going goth: Paris Hilton uses her singing skills again to play Amber Sweet in Repo! The Genetic Opera

Repo! The Genetic Opera is based on the stage show of the same name and is set in  2056, when an epidemic of organ failures threatens the future of mankind.

The film stars Buffy The Vampire Slayer actor Anthony Head as Repo Man, a skilled assassin paid to track down former organ donation receivers who can't keep up with their payments and 'recover' the organs owned by biotech firm GeneCo.

Sarah Brightman is the leading vocal strength in the movie, playing Blind Mag, who is marked for repossession after she fails to keep up her with repayments to GeneCo for her eyes.

Hilton plays Amber Sweet, the daughter of dying GeneCo president Rotti (Paul Sorvino) who battles her brothers Luigi and Pavi to inherit the company after their father's death.

Writhing: Paris Hilton's character Amber revels in the attention from love interest The Grave-Robber (Terrance Zdunich)

In one sequence from the movie, Hilton sings breathily to local drug lord, The Grave-Robber (Terrance Zdunich), who injects her with a chemical in her inner thigh.

Despite reports director Darren Lynn Bousman was initially sceptical about Hilton's talent, he said: 'I have auditioned at least 30 actresses for this role - Paris came in and owned it.  She is this role.

'We saw many actresses for the role, and Paris sang it better than all of them.'

The film isn't due for release until the autumn and while critics are already hailing the rock musical as a cult hit, there has been mixed response over Hilton's minor role.

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Dying for attention: Paris has exchanged her natural blonde locks (right) for a Dita Von-Teese-style look in her new film

John Anderson, critics for U.S. trade paper Variety, said: 'Paris Hilton, who delivers a limited but thoroughly appropriate performance in a movie in which almost everything is inappropriate.'

Horror fansite DreadCentral.com's Andrew Kasch wrote: 'The addition of Paris Hilton will be the media focal point but for all the wrong reasons. She’s actually quite good here, playing a send-up of herself as Largo’s spoiled, surgery-addicted daughter.'

The film marks Hilton's first on-screen singing role since her attempt to launch a pop career two years ago.

Despite her debut single Stars Are Blind reaching no.6 in the U.S. Billboard charts, sales of the single and accompanying album were disappointing.

Her eponymous named album sold 607,000 copies in the U.S.

Hilton plans to record a more dance-orientated follow up album later this year.

Saucy: Paris is surrounded by a gang of dancers in a risque sequence