There are scary Vampire flicks, and comical ones and plenty of campy ones. Oh, and some scary ones, too. Jakob’s Wife is maybe the first Vampire movie I’ve seen that deftly mixes a sitcom vibe with moments of blood spewing like an angry geyser…or a SNL sketch.
Barbara Crampton plays Anne Fedder, the repressed wife of the titular Jakob. He’s the Minister of the small town church and she is the dutiful preacher’s wife, rarely allowed to speak for herself. After 30 years, their marriage is lifeless, though not necessarily loveless.
Now, I call this a Vampire movie because of the blood-sucking, neck biting that goes on, but this gets going when Anne has an encounter with The Master (a shadowy figure early on, but we get to see what he/she/it is later on) who looks unlike any vampire I’ve ever seen -and, suddenly, Anne now has her mojo back. She’s wearing makeup and doing aerobics and feeling a bit randy.
Husband Jakob is clueless at first, but when a few townies end up dead in the worst possible way, Jakob can’t deny to himself that the wifey’s weird antics and purchases of beef blood at the local grocer for her insatiable appetite? Well, let’s just say he figures it out.
So now what?
This is where the movie won me over – the movie’s second act sort of takes on a comically bickering couple, like you’d see in a mildly funny sitcom, as the couple argue and work together to sort out this fine mess she’s gotten them in.
Larry Fessenden as Pastor Fedder and Crampton have great chemistry that you didn’t see coming in the first half hour of the movie, but what a nice surprise. Their timing and performances aren’t going for big “ha ha” laughs, but somewhat subtle and situational (after all situation is the “sit” in sitcom, right?).
The final act shows us the creepy face of The Master – creepy voice, too, played by Bonnie Aarons. Also, if the proceedings were not bloody enough for you early on, take heart, there will be blood. It all wraps up nicely as a totally watchable mash up movie.
Hey, it ain’t high art, but it’s a pretty good time.
Jakob’s Wife is streaming on Shudder | 3 out of 4 Stars | Reviewed by Kyle Osborne