Theresa & Allison – A Vampire Tale That Bit Into More Than Blood
In 2019, there was little expectation for Theresa & Allison. It was the first feature film for director Molly… as such, the movie was expected to perform rather poorly, and instead mostly flown under the radar. Yet, the film managed to accomplish word-of-mouth success. It was an indie film with little to no mainstream attention, and as such was viewed in a positive light by many indie film fans. It became a case of The Tantalizing Vampire Tale. It sparked positive attention for its metaphor of guilt: the burdens shackled to a person after the passing of a loved one, survival, and identity. It became a film that was viewed for something deeper than simply blood.
A Night That Changed Everything
Opening scenes depict protagonist Theresa, played by Arielle Hope, as the sequence of an extraordinary occurrence during what many would consider a mundane romantic encounter plays out. There seems to be an ordinary one-night stand, and then intimacy under the imagination of the romantic scene. That notion of imagination gets shattered when Theresa awakens the next morning to blood, confusion, and a ravenous hunger with no shame on the bed of the stranger she absconded with, and no remorse in the transformation. There is simply the shame of becoming a untouchable pariah. She is gone… changed… a vampire.Introducing Allison, played by Sarah Schoofs — the older, more seasoned vampire who assists Theresa, albeit begrudgingly. Their relationship becomes complex quickly. Allison becomes protector and predator, having embraced her monstrous existence, while Theresa desperately tries to maintain her humanity. Their relationship becomes complex quickly. Messiness in this relationship appears in the constant shifts of desire, dominance, and dependance.
Unlike typical vampire romances, Theresa and Allison avoid glamorizing vampire fiction by asking, “What part of being immortal is punishment?” and “How do you exist when your body and your soul are for someone else?”
The story focuses on more than basic horror. It is the feeding, the silence, and the horror — the shift in perception and the lack of belonging. It is the lack of horror recognition. It is the lack of being. It is the lack of horror recognition. It is the lack of being. It is the lack of horror recognition. It is the lack of being.
The Hype Before the Bite
Prior to the film’s release, Theresa and Allison was met with careful curiosity. Everyone expected something in the same line as Interview with the Vampire or The Hunger, and first look teasers hinted on something more raw and gritty. The marketing portrayed a mix of vampirism and horror, and a dark and unsettling sexual undercurrent.
Kipp’s reputation in the indie horror scene created a buzz in the horror community. Kipp’s promise for the film to be psychological as well as physical was a great reason for the community to be excited. Additionally, writer-producer Charles D. Lincoln’s comments regarding the film describing vampirism metaphorically as self-destructive addiction gave great reason for interest.
When the film was available to audiences through streaming and festival, the film received divided opinions. Its ambition and creation of the film’s atmosphere received praise as capturing “an erotic nightmare that feels uncomfortably real.” Others gave complaints regarding the film’s pacing and low-budget look which created the atmosphere of raw cinema. However, even the discontent viewers acknowledged the film’s ability to make the viewer think.
The Women at the Center of the Storm.
Arielle Hope’s performance as Theresa was the emotional core of the film. Rather than portray her character as a victim, Hope plays her as someone who is going through a form of emotional exorcism. Her transformation involves more than the fangs and blood; it involves losing control, the desire to gain it, and redefining self.
In interviews, colleagues described how fully she embraced the discomfort of the role. Hope reportedly spent time journaling as Theresa — thinking and writing from the points of view of guilt, hunger, and alienation. That may explain why her performance feels so intimate and painful, as in the scenes when Theresa has to confront her reflection and cannot recognize the stranger looking back.
Allison, played by Sarah Schoofs, embodies the opposite — cool, seductive, and resigned. She plays a vampire who has long stopped questioning what she is. Schoofs, previously having a reputation from experimental and underground cinema, brought emotional maturity to the role. Her Allison isn’t just a predator; she’s a survivor who has long accepted that survival requires moral decay. The two women have a chemistry that is at once tender and deeply troubled, primarily in a psychological sense and tragic, rather than erotic and thrilling.
Their relationship also reflects something universal — that strange dependency between the lost and those who have learned to live with loss.