Halloween is just round the corner, and in its honour MUBI have released their collection “A Woman’s Bite”, showcasing some of the best female vampire films of the last few years. The collection features some absolute gems, including Lips of Blood, Trouble Every Day, and my personal favourite Only Lovers Left Alive. Each of these films features an incredibly intriguing and complex female vampire - a symbol of freedom, understanding and sexuality to the men that desire and chase them. Jennifer in Lips of Blood whisks Frédéric away from his life as a human to a desert island to feast on rich sailors for eternity; Eve in Only Lovers Left Alive is Adam’s confidante, wife and soulmate, who comes to Detroit to save him from himself. Coré in Trouble Every Day is her own more unusual kind of vampire, but still intrigues the men who attempt to contain her.
So, what is it about this figure that intrigues so many people? To my mind, it’s the multifaceted nature of the female vampire; she has a universal appeal. She is intelligent, savage, beautiful, wild and dangerous – she has the ultimate freedom. No man can control or oppose her without disastrous consequences – she is above the regulations and expectations of normal society. “Hell hath no fury like a woman with a thirst for blood” writes MUBI in their description of the collection, and it is this very sentiment that makes the character of the female vampire such an enduring and memorable figure in horror films.
