Vampires have usually been portrayed as seductive, haunted creatures, eager to spread their proclivities from person to person in order to create a slave or a partner (or both). Lilith’s Awakening, the new movie by Monica Demes (a graduate of the David Lynch MFA Program), continues that proud tradition in moody, gloomy black-and-white.

Lucy (Sophia Woodward) is a bored young wife with Jonathon (Sam Garles), her boring husband in boring Iowa working at her dad Abe’s (Steve Kennevan) boring service station. Lucy is also being very sexually harassed/threatened by mechanic Arthur Holmwood (Matthew lloyd Wilcox). He breaks into her car one night and, instead of turning her against him, this dalliance seems to awaken some long-repressed feelings within her.  Meanwhile, vampire Lilith (Barbara Eugenia), resplendent in a black cloak and carrying a…guitar (?), walks out of the woods and into their lives.

In case you didn’t catch it, the names (if not the specifics) of these characters are directly from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and at first it seems as if Demes is creating a modern retelling of the classic, gender-bending the main character as she goes. But, if you can be patient, you’ll find more than just a remake beneath its surface.

After his assault-ish experience with Lucy, Arthur picks up Lilith on his ride home. After an awkward conversation, she attacks him and feasts on him. This was a shockingly well-done little bit, and it shows what Demes is capable of.  unfortunately, some of the dialogue in this scene is stilted and delivered unnaturally. For example:

Arthur: What do you like to play?

Lilith: Music. Love songs.

Arthur: You enjoy love so much, what are you doing out here all alone? With that guitar? Where’s your husband?

Lilith: I’m a free woman.

Arthur: Mmm. I like that.

This is my main issue with the whole movie: it’s wildly uneven. Some dialogue is great and tense, some is weirdly awkward and . Some actors are on top of their game and delivering high-quality emotions, and some just are not up to the simplest task of sounding interested in the current scene. Low-budget flicks can be a mixed bag, and this is no exception. Having said that, let’s talk about what works, and works very well, indeed.

The cinematography by Alfonso James and Gregor Kresal is amazing. The blackest blacks and the palest whites fight each other for dominance within the frame, and the result is gorgeous. There are splashes of color throughout (red, naturally) that accent scenes without overpowering them or seeming like a gimmick. It’s a really interesting-looking film, moody and powerful.

Sophia Woodward is a wonderful actress, and her portrayal of Lucy as she is seduced by Lilith while still trying to keep her life and sanity intact is truly fantastic. She’s unsure of what’s happening but also seems to not be too upset about the whole situation. She is confused and thrilled and repulsed and attracted all at once, and she handles all these conflicting thoughts and realizations with grace and talent. She is definitely one to watch.

This is a slow-moving tone-poem meditation on vampiric themes, and I liked it well enough. It’s not scary or startling at all, but it’s got some fascinating ideas behind it, and I’m definitely on the Monica Demes train from here on out. I wonder what station she’ll stop at next?

Hop on board the trailer below!

See the trailer below and grab your tickets to the premiere of Lilith’s Awakening at the Dances With Films festival tonight. Get your tickets here.