Film Review: Jakob’s Wife

Jakob’s Wife is the second film from indie producer-turned-director, Travis Stevens, following his underrated 2019 debut, Girl On The Third Floor. Co-written by Stevens, Kathy Charles, and Mark Steensland, the film follows Anne (Barbara Crampton), the unassuming wife of Pastor Jakob Fedder (Larry Fessenden) who was once an ambitious and adventurous woman but is now living a quiet, simple life in a small town. However, after a sudden encounter with the Nosferatu-esque “The Master” (Bonnie Aarons), she begins to transform into a vampire, leading to not only an intense desire for blood, but also increasing problems in her marriage as Jakob begins to take notice of changes in her behavior.

The film is, first and foremost, an avenue for Crampton to take the lead and explore spaces in her acting range that she hasn’t gotten many opportunities to dive into in prior roles. For those who don’t know, she is a legend from numerous classic 80s horror films, and has carved quite the niche for herself over the course of her career. From the very beginning, this is clearly a labor of love for Crampton, and she really delivers a layered and nuanced performance that is funny, raw, melancholic, and at times, subtly heartbreaking. Plus her dynamic with Fessenden is terrific.

Exploring vampirism through metaphor is a staple of the subgenre, and the same goes here for Stevens’ approach, which – similar to Girl On The Third Floor – balances gruesome horror, quirky humor, and bigger themes that catch you by surprise. Anne becoming a vampire is used to showcase how marriage can literally suck the life out of the people involved, changing them from what they were before the relationship. When Jakob realizes exactly what’s going on, he is remarkably accommodating, and willing to work things through, as hard as it may be, and it leads to numerous marital squabbles that wouldn’t feel out of place in any average domestic drama.

The gore present here can be rather intense, but it’s done in a way that compliments the humor more than anything else. The practical blood splatter is a ton of fun to watch unfold, and mostly makes up for the occasional signs of its budgetary limitations. I also enjoyed the score from Tara Busch, which brings a propulsive quality to the story, especially in the second half, which I think is where all the best elements of the film come together. The first half does drag a bit, but there’s a great payoff to everything.

Jakob’s Wife is a really good time, especially for genre fans who have some investment in character actors like Barbara Crampton and Larry Fessenden, who have both long made their mark on horror over the years, and deliver some career best stuff in this film. Its blend of splatter horror, domestic drama, and off-kilter humor is a joy, and as unwieldy as it may seem at times, it’s clear Travis Stevens and his co-writers have put a lot of thought in the film’s construction and thematic fascinations toward ideas revolving around happiness, self-fulfillment, love, and commitment. It definitely cements Stevens as a filmmaker worth keeping your eye out for in the future, and it reminds you why folks like Crampton and Fessenden have connected to fans the way they have through the course of their careers. Though the film is by no means a masterpiece, it is a good, interesting, and enjoyable film that keeps you on your toes in more ways than one. It’s a real treat that horror fans shouldn’t miss.

RLJE Films and Shudder will release Jakob’s Wife in theaters, on demand, and digital on April 16th.