Sean Parker
Barbara Crampton is just fantastic—a genuine pleasure to have on-screen. Any horror film she’s ever done has been made more engrossing and appealing with her presence. From her unforgettable portrayal as Megan Halsey in Re-Animator to her recent characters in fan favorites Channel Zero: The Dream Door, You’re Next, and Beyond the Gates, Crampton is horror royalty, embodying her horror characters and elevating them within the genre and we love her for it. You can now imagine my gleeful joy when I came across the trailer for her upcoming vampire film, Jakob’s Wife.
Directed by Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor), Jakob’s Wife is about Anne (Crampton) the wife of a minister (another horror favorite, Larry Fessenden) who isn’t the person she quite remembers being, back in her more formative years. When she is taken to a remote location to rediscover her wild side, the romance soon turns into a bloodbath. Images of Anne then emerge in the trailer of her transformative process from bored small-town housewife into a worm-eating, fang-growing, blood-thirsty super beast, and I am ready for it.
There’s no good solution here for the pastor or his wife, both seemingly needing more than the other can give. As the two attempt to reconcile their marriage, the question must be asked, should we expect one to end up in a body bag? This is what I believe may give Jakob’s Wife an edge over many other films in a crowded subgenre. With neverending films that focus on the lust and cravings Jakob’s Wife looks like it’s just trying to keep a humble suburban lid on the body count. Perhaps it’s a slightly more serious vampire version of Santa Clarita Diet.
And that doesn’t mean the film looks completely serious, mind you. Anne’s denial of murder while slurping up blood on the couple’s kitchen floor is a good sign that this is going to be a well-rounded horror movie. One, I hope, we can juxtapose chuckling in one moment to being terrified in the next.
Currently playing as an official selection of the 2021 SXSW festival, Jakob’s Wife will be available in select theaters and VOD on April 16.
So what do you think of the trailer for Jakob’s Wife? Do you agree with Sean that Barbara Crampton is a national treasure and horror royalty? Let us know in the comments!
