A Minister’s wife who’s been stuck in a rut and looking for more in life meets a being she begins to call the Master. As her life changes, she can’t help but appreciate the new sensations and elements in her life.
Directed by Travis Stevens who co-wrote with Kathy Charles and Mark Steensland, Jakob’s Wife is a slice of life with that twist that takes a what-if and makes the film something fun and entertaining by giving this little window in the life of a Minister’s wife something worth peeking at and even spending extended time with. The film they build from this premise is one that is a lot of fun and that gives Barbara Crampton something epically good to work with. Her part is the central one and it’s impressive.
Which leads to Barbara Crampton’s performance. She’s at the center, in the spotlight, and she’s loving it. She makes this part hers and makes it something that people will want to watch over and over. She’s so much fun as the wife who got in a rut and may want out, who then gets a major life plot twist. She’s just perfect in the part with the right notes and nuances, giving her character of Anne so much to live for and to be there for. Playing her husband Pastor Jakob is Larry Fessenden who just seems to have fun with the more uptight character and someone that is perhaps not ideal for the situation he’s trust into. His work balances out Crampton’s and makes her seem even happier (if that is the right term here). These two make the film and keep it going, making it a must see film.
In terms of special effects, as it is a horror film, there is some good blood here and there, but it’s not an entire bloodbath. There is plenty though and what is there looks great. Also, the Master looks fantastic! The work by Marcus Koch and team is on point here and just great to watch. Also, really really worth noting is the costume design, it’s amazing, the wardrobe for Barbara Crampton is almost a character of its own with a development arc and moods. The work by Yvonne Reddy shows that she really understand character development and how to use the wardrobe to amplify that.
Jakob’s Wife is a fun romp with just amount of blood that will make Barbara Crampton fans happy and the rest become fans of hers. This movie is hers and she takes it by the horns. She makes a fun movie even better and gives the kind of performance that should be the goal for other horror stars.