BITE ME: An Edgy Addition To The Rom-Com Genre

Vampires have appeared in cinema throughout the years in a plethora of ways. Whether it’s Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula come to life or angsty sparkling teens in the Twilight franchise, vampires seem to be a favorite subject in Hollywood. One vampiric topic that had yet to be explored, are the humans on earth who genuinely believe they are vampires and drink blood in order to remain healthy.

Bite Me, directed by Meredith Edwards, follows a vampire woman named Sarah (Naomi McDougall Jones) as she gets audited after a media storm on real-life vampires from her ex-husband’s appearance on a reality show. The IRS agent, James (Christian Coulson), is a simple Englishman who is struggling to carve his place in the world. The two strike up an unlikely romance during the investigation, which creates an incredibly interesting and original romantic comedy.

Real-Life Vampires?

The hardest part of any movie is investing the audience emotionally. But how do you do that when your main character belongs to a seemingly bizarre subculture where she actually drinks human blood? The cleverly crafted script (which was written by McDougall Jones) does not treat our main character like a freak of nature, but rather a person who feels disconnected from much of society. While not everyone watching the movie can necessarily relate to the specifics of Sarah’s situation, feeling like an outsider is something almost everyone has felt at some point. In minutes, any suspicious feelings about Sarah fall away and you begin to root for her.

The film also plays off of what an audience member’s preconceived ideas about the vampire subculture might be. The catalyst for the plot is Sarah’s ex-husband’s appearance on a reality show where he uses stereotypes for his own personal gain. The characters are constantly making fun of the blood-sucking, violent ideas that most people have in their minds (in order to make a statement at the end of the movie, one character suggests they dress in “vampire drag”). The self awareness of the characters makes what seems like a strange lifestyle seem much more down to earth.

Perfect Performances

There is no way a romantic comedy can be successful without two strong lead actors. And fortunately for Bite Me, both McDougall Jones and Coulson are perfectly cast. McDougall Jones is the perfect mix of sass and sympathy. Her reliance on her ex-husband and her strained relationship with her parents forces her to build a wall around her emotions, which McDougall Jones plays with a perfect relatability. The role shows off her large range, and along with her writing, sets her up for a great career in the future. The man who breaks down her tough exterior is played charmingly by Coulson, who many may know as Tom Riddle in Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets. He at first appears quite vanilla, but quickly Coulson inherits the best qualities of rom-com men; the sweetness of Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything… with the charisma of Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You. Together, the pair are unconventional but make perfect sense.

The rest of the cast is rounded out with other standouts. American Horror Story’s Naomi Grossman is hilarious as Sarah’s close friend and roommate, Chrissy. Orange Is the New Black’s Annie Golden plays James’ conservative, Christian roommate and co-worker. Golden serves as both comedic relief and an extreme juxtaposition to Sarah and her fellow vampires. The entire cast is great, and plays a major role in making this film as entertaining as it is.

Real World Meaning

One of the strongest aspects of the film is just how relevant it is. As stated before, not everyone can relate to the oppression faced as a vampire, but in a world where many people feel like their rights are threatened everyday, this film serves as a nice allegory. Sarah’s other roommate, Lily, finds it hard to be “Muslim and a vampire.” At the end of the film, there is a montage of Lily and other vampires “coming out.” This serves as a way of showing that vampires are not crazy, but regular people who just have a different life or religion than others. For anyone who struggles to “fit in” to what society says is “normal,” Bite Me is something they should watch.

Behind the scenes, Bite Me has prided itself in being an inclusive project. Not only does it boast a female director, writer, and star, but most of the dialogue in the film is spoken by women. Behind the scenes, many of the crew were made up of women and people of color. It’s a positive move that other films should follow.

The filmmakers have used the themes of their film in order to promote it. They brought the movie to the people they most wanted to see it. The Joyful Vampire Tour was a 51 city tour with screenings of the film, along with vampire balls and yoga classes. It only makes sense for an unconventional film to promote in an unconventional way. It adds to its charm.

Bite Me: Conclusion

Bite Me is an incredibly refreshing movie that has a lot to say about today’s world. With the strength in script and performances, the film is fantastically entertaining. Edwards clearly has an eye for direction, and I’ll be glad to see what she and everyone else do next.

Bite Me is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. For more information check out BiteMeTheFilm.com. Bite Me is also on a unique tour across the United States (The Joyful Vampire Tour), find a screening/event near you.