Lilith’s Awakening (2016)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Sophia Woodward, Barbara Eugenia, Steve Kennevan
Directed by Monica Demes
The sexual vampire film re-awakens in subtle force with the arrival of Monica Demes’ Lilith’s Awakening, a movie that uses an intently sluggish pace in order to place emphasis on atmosphere and ambience… and a little naughty matter as well.
The film stars Sophia Woodward as Lucy, a housewife whose very existence has become as stagnant as her love life with her husband, Jonathan (Sam Garles). The notion of a non-sexual relationship has only compounded her already stalemated situation at work – her father’s (Kennevan) garage is her place of employment, and it’s become as listless as watching paint dry. Now that I’ve set up the scenario as far as pacing is concerned, let’s get to the good stuff!
Lucy’s attempt at a sexual break-out comes at the expense of a co-worker (Matthew Lloyd Wilcox), but Lucy’s inherently shy nature puts the brakes on an extramarital affair before it even gets a chance to ramp up. However, when one door closes, another opens… and that door leads Lucy to Lilith: a mysterious woman who may or may not be of the bloodsucking variety. In any event, a little “sexy time” bite on the neck does indeed transfer the vampirific tendencies through to Lucy – game on, nightcrawlers!
It’s not necessarily the overpowering children of the night film that you’d expect, and first-time director Demes utilizes numerous close-ups to bring the tension and uneasiness to a simmer. Now, while I’d normally laud or condemn a film’s potential to survive based on its performances, what acts as the pulse here are the visuals and surrounding presence. The sole use of light versus dark works extremely well, and the notion that you’re watching a vampire flick, regardless of intensive action, is strictly administered.
If you’re looking for 30 Days of Night velocity, I’m sorry to say that you’ll be largely disappointed; however, if it’s a squarely delivered first-time presentation on a minor allocation, then this awakening very well could be the vampire flick that wakes us all up.
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Film
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