Lately, there’s been a wave of intriguing indie vampire movies, including The Vourdalak and Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Writer/director Israel Perez’s Love Wants Us Dead, like those other films, proves that there’s still some life left in the fanged undead. Perez’s feature is an alluring and atmospheric vampire affair, driven by its two female leads, and its commentary on the nature of filmmaking itself.
The film begins with Anais (Wendy Zhuo) in a car, before she arrives at a depilated building after retrieving a bag. Using a hand-cam, she shoots everything she sees. At one point, she captures a dead chicken upside down, hanging from a rope. When Anais returns to her car, someone lingers by it, though it’s unclear who that person is or why he was filmed in the first place.
Elsewhere, the film’s other lead, Rose (Lindy Jones), works at a plumbing supply store. Her boss, Pablo (Pablo Santiago), reads local reports about bodies dismembered. We also learn that Rose loves film. At one point, she’s shown reading Maya Deren’s Film and Philosophy. Eventually, Rose and Anais’ paths cross after Rose finds her broken down in the middle of the road. Because Rose knows that Anais has been renting some back rooms from Pablo, she offers her a ride.
Then, the two connect over their love of film and discuss how the medium distills moments out of time, a concept that factors heavily into the film and the very concept of a vampire. Anais even shows Rose some of her films, which she loves, though she later snoops in Anais’ room and finds videotapes of dead bodies and Anais’ mouth covered in blood. She easily puts the pieces together.
From there, there are more confusing plot elements, including a gun, a tin box, and Pablo’s possible connection to Anais, though it doesn’t fully add up. This isn’t a movie with a conventional narrative or easy answers. Instead, it’s far more interested in commenting on film itself and its capabilities. It’s an exercise in the art form and how, like a vampire, a film can transcend time though photography and the moving image.
This movie is also gorgeously shot, and the desert town feels like its own character. We hear the wind howl and the gravel of barren roads crunch under Anais’ combat boots. The empty buildings that Anais films are both haunting and mesmerizing. The natural landscape feels as important as the two main characters. It’s an all-encompassing setting.
Love Wants Us Dead is definitely not a movie for everyone. That said, it’s a wonderfully shot film that underscores the natural landscape of a desert town. More than anything, the feature comments on the nature of film itself and how the medium can toy with time and make it pliable. For movie lovers, there’s something hypnotic about Perez’s work and the concepts he presents.
