Jakob’s Wife

Director: Travis Stevens

Screenplay: Kathy Charles, Mark Steensland, Travis Stevens

Minutes: 98

Year: 2021

Score: 8.27

Release: Amazon Prime Video

I would like to claim that the trailer for Jakob’s Wife is what sold me on the film, but that would be a lie. I saw something that said Barbara Crampt… and I was on board. Then I saw that vampires are involved, and I shrugged my shoulders because it could have been a movie about a bathroom tile salesperson, and it would have still been watched.

Jakob’s Wife tells the story about Anne and Jakob Fedder. Jakob is a local pastor which gives Anne the unenviable job of being perfect in the eyes of the congregation, showing nothing but admiration and obedience to her loving husband. After some eerie happenstance Anne finds herself as prey to a vampire. The gradual change from pastor’s wife to vampire is a sexual awakening for Anne. As the bodies start to pile up in the small-town Jakob learns what happens to Anne and vows to end The Master’s control over his beloved wife.

Jakob’s Wife is quite the charming film with biting comedy and all the effects seem practical. If there was some digital, I didn’t see it. Oh, “biting” comedy was unintended, but I am leaving it, as well as this sentence, because this is all borderline irrelevant next to Barbara Crampton’s performance.

I am not going to say that I have seen everything Ms. Crampton has ever done, that will never happen. I will say that her performance as Anne is perfect. As someone with their finger on the pulse at a local church, I know how stressful it can be for a pastor’s spouse. The look in Barbara’s eyes in the early scenes mimic some of those that I have seen firsthand. It is not a lack of love or devotion, but exhaustion. An invisible angel that will undoubtedly see the wrath of a community after a misstep.

That is where my experience ends, though, I have never watched any of my pastor’s spouse friends become vampires. Or anyone for that matter. It might be fun, but also tragic (and I love them too much to wish it on them, but they would make some badass vamps). That said I thought the transformation and grasp that Anne went though was a very interesting take. I don’t recall seeing a character with such imposed grace take this change. How do you go from pure white snow to a bloodthirsty and sexually hungry monster? Barbara shows this in her pitch perfect performance.

As of this writing Jakob’s Wife is available to rent or own on VOD but based on the opening graphics it will probably be added to Shudder in due time. But I cannot think of a reason to wait. 

Director: 8 – Cinematography: 8 –  Edit: 6 – Parity: 10 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 6 – Score: 7 – Sound: 7 – Story: 9 – Script: 7 – Effects: 10 – Design: 7 – Costumes: 9 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10