jakob’s wife: Marriage, feminism and vampires

This time I want to talk about my latest discovery: Jakob’s wife by Travis Stevens.

First of all, spoiler alert. If you are thinking of seeing the movie, you should stop reading now.

The movie was released in this very same 2021, so it is quite modern, as I will develop later. It begins by showing us a mature couple. He is a minister in a local church. He frequently gives sermons related to marriage. She is… well… his wife.

They appear to be a happy couple, but the movie makes it clear to us from the beginning that this is only in appearance. At first, the film only transmits that feeling, well known in horror films, that something is wrong, but it does not give us any explanation.

As the story progresses, we start to get to know the characters. She, in her youth, had certain expectations of life. But then she lost her mother and both he and his religious community offered her support in those times of vulnerability.

Another thing we notice is that he usually interrupts her and even speaks for her. She, for her part, gets up in the middle of the night, because she can’t bear to sleep with him.

In this context, she falls into the hands of a “master”, who looks very much like Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu. This vampire converts her, but he does not only do that. he also tries to make her see that she has lost herself, trying to please others.

In any case, she starts acting strange. Her husband, at first, believes that she is cheating on him, with an ex-boyfriend from her youth, and although he is not entirely wrong, he is far from imagining what really happens.

When she confesses that she is a vampire, he reacts like any cleric: He pretends to confront the master, armed only with his cross, his bible and some holy water. At this point the film makes a sharp turn, from classic horror, to comedy. It seemed a little weird to me, but it still makes sense, within the general concept of the film.

I think the film is a version of Dracula, adapted to the concerns of our historical context: It addresses topics such as the role of women and knowing how to set healthy boundaries.

I liked the ending. The couple recovers the flame of passion… somehow.