Writer: Naomi McDougall Jones
Director: Meredith Edwards
Death and taxes come together quite literally in Naomi McDougall Jones’ provocatively titled romcom Bite Me as a young vampire finds her exemption status questioned by the IRS. Dispelling a lot of vampire myths – no fangs, going out in daylight and only drinking donor blood to fix an energy deficiency – it may have a few twists, but McDougall-Jones’s film directed by Meredith Edwards is ultimately a cosy and very traditional example of its genre, as two lonely outsiders find, lose and find love again against the odds.
Sarah is a determinedly single vampire living in a small breakaway group with housemates and friends Chrissy and Lily. When the IRS start to investigate her tax status after a member of the vampire community joins a flashy reality TV show, Sarah meets and falls for her tax inspector James, a Brit finding life in New York just as challenging. But will their relationship damage her exemption case?
For a vampire movie that knowingly references and rejects Twilight, Bite Me is actually a rather gentle comedy-drama that plays down vampire traits to focus on its central romance. The characters are only seen to drink a bit of blood from each other’s wrists and, other than a couple of edgy costumes, there is little to suggest these vampires are anything other than human.
The love story is well-handled and while the chemistry between the leads is minimal, their connection is sweet enough with both ludicrously believing the first few dates they go on are strictly business. The real twist here is that James is given his own point of view, becoming the traditional rom-com lead who, like Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping and Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner, is living the lonely, friendless life they need to be rescued from with work their only structure. Sarah isn’t much more rounded but for once the female character has greater personality in the movie.
Naomi McDougall Jones is fine as the woman who rejects social convention and embraces the goth lifestyle only to fall in love with her very conventional opposite, and while Sarah has little to do but feel sad, McDougall Jones looks beneath the surface. Christian Coulson’s adorable tax inspector gets most of the feels, bringing a fair amount of credibility to the odd scenario, enough to make you root for him, despite this being the kind of role Hugh Grant stopped playing 20-years ago.
Bite Me never lives up to its title nor is there ever any suggestion of Sarah biting James, but this is pleasant enough apart from a distinctly overplayed final act. The vampire angle gives it a USP it perhaps didn’t need but there is still something oddly comforting in the rom-coms only purpose, helping two nice people make a connection
Bite Me will be available on digital download from 8th February.
