Directed by Travis Stevens
Written by Kathy Charles, Mark Steensland, Travis Stevens
Starring Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Bonnie Aarons
Unrated
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
In theaters, on demand, and digital April 16

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Why do you always think in terms of what other people want? This particular quote from Jakob’s Wife hit me like a ton of bricks. As a woman, it has been a lifelong struggle to speak my truth and say what I want for myself. I assume many a woman out there can understand this particular sentiment. I was not prepared to comprehend the struggles of womanhood when I sat down to watch a fun and gory horror film, but ultimately I was happy to see that this film has much more going on than one expects.

Anne has been married to Pastor Jakob for thirty years. They seem like the idyllic couple in their small community. However, Anne begins to reflect on the life that they have had together and starts to wonder if she has lost herself somewhere along the way. An encounter with an old flame enhances this feeling as well as an encounter with “The Master” an ancient vampire living in an abandoned factory. Her transformation from pastor’s wife to vampire gives her a new taste for blood and puts her on a journey of self-discovery. However, Jakob is not happy about these changes and tries to set things back to normal, something Anne is not eager to do. The couple must figure out if their marriage is able to stand up against a vampiric transformation in this horror comedy.

Given my taste for horror, I fully expected to enjoy this film, but did not expect this to be one of the more interesting films about relationships I have seen in some time. It also was refreshing to see a film about a stagnant marriage and a mid-life crisis from the perspective of the female character. Typically, the mid-life crisis conjures images of men with sports cars and troubling fashion choices. But this film shows how lost a woman can become in an unequal partnership and says “Hey ladies, have you considered the benefits that becoming a vampire can have on your self-esteem, identity, and sexuality?” Making this an incredibly fun and thought-provoking romp. Anne truly becomes her most alive when she joins the undead. She unlocks her essential female power and won’t let anyone diminish her shine.

With my only expectations for this film being some decent gore and a stand-out performance from one of my favorite actresses, I was pleasantly surprised with how much more I got from this viewing experience. When you mop up all the blood this film has to offer it reveals a heartwarming and insightful look into what commitment and companionship mean. It also shows that it is never too late to become the person (or vampire) you want to be. Sitting next to my partner while watching this ended up reminding me how our individuality is essential to our bond as a couple. The twists and turns this film takes you on are ones I did not see coming and make this a much deeper and meaningful viewing than one would expect given the premise.

Crampton is equally wonderful at playing the meek complying housewife as she is the badass, sexy, liberated vampire. As someone who is a huge fan of the actress, it was great seeing that she was as fun and sexy in this as she was playing the doctor dominatrix in Stuart Gorden’s 1986 film, From Beyond. She is given the chance to let loose in a way that many of her other characters were not able to, and in a way that so many women wish they could. She is the ultimate liberated woman and by the end of the film, she is given the power to say and do all the things she felt too powerless to say her whole life. It is also a testament to the types of interesting and unique roles that horror can offer to actresses of any age.

In recent years, the witch archetype has become an interesting symbol of female liberation with films like The VVitch at its helm. so it was great to see this same treatment done for the vampire. Using the vampire as a liberator for womankind is a welcome take in 2021. I’m sure we have amazing writers like Kathy Charles (Castle Freak) to thank for that. Bonnie Aarons, who might best be known for playing the Nun in The Conjuring II, gets to use her striking features to play The Master. Who, unlike typical ancient vampires, is a woman who wants to free other women from the bonds of the patriarchy.

Ultimately we get a chance to look at a relationship where neither party has learned the ultimate tool to create a sustainable partnership, communication. Anne is constantly talked over and ignored, yet is expected to be present to cook meals and clean the house. Of course, this makes the viewer mad at Jakob, but then we see that he doesn’t try to a bad husband, but since life has always been this way he has never had to question his behavior or his treatment of Anne. Jakob has never had to fight for Anne, and Anne has never had the courage to ask him to. Anne’s change brings conflict but it also gives the two the opportunity to discuss how they want to be treated and what they want the rest of their lives to look like. Maybe that means they stay together or it means they grow apart. But either way, they are given a chance to speak their truth which is the most important thing.

Of course, none of this would work if Crampton and Fessenden were not giving such incredible performances. As someone who loved them in We Are Still Here, it was great to see them working together again. They have so much chemistry and work so well together. Through their performances, you are able to empathize with their struggles. Fessenden has, even more, to do in this respect because you want to dislike his character so much but you end up understanding that he is of a time and place where he never had to put any effort into his relationship so he needs to decide if he is the kind of man that is ready to stand up and fight for the one he loves.

Director Travis Stevens, who directed the 2019 horror film Girl on the Third Floor, hits this one out of the park making it one of my favorite films of the year. Stevens was also the producer behind several great horror films like Starry Eyes, XX, and We Are Still Here, so he is clearly an essential figure in some of the best indie horror of recent years. This film is full of laughs, blood, and heart. Ultimately Jakob’s Wife is a reminder that the horror genre is one of the best genres at exploring relationships, and pushing into new storytelling territories. This is a surprisingly crafted piece of filmmaking that fans of the genre are sure to get something out of.