25 Incredibly Well-Made Horror Films Directed By Women

6. Xan Cassavetes - Kiss Of The Damned (2012)

A sly tongue-in-cheek tribute to old-school horror films of yesteryear, Xan Cassavetes€™ Kiss Of The Damned attempts to go beyond the usual boundaries of the vampire genre. Saucily thumbing its nose at the insipid teen love of the Twilight franchise, the film reimagines its bloodsuckers as horny, supercilious Eurotrash with addiction issues, sucking the life blood from naive American thrill-seekers. The film follows an elder vampire named Djuna (Josephine de La Baume), who tries her best not to fall in love with a human screenwriter named Paolo (Milo Ventimiglia). Eventually she turns Paolo, and it seems like they are perfect for one another. However, it is generally frowned upon to turn a human. Poalo manages to warm up to the other vampires, and is accepted into their culture. But when Djuna€™s highly unstable sister Mimi (Roxane Mesquida) shows up, sparks begin to fly not only with Djuna and Paolo, but with all of the other vampires as well. Story-wise, everything in Kiss Of The Damned you've seen before. But its simplicity is never a hindrance, often acting as a charming framework for the characters to play (and spill blood) in; for once familiarity works in its favoir. Thankfully, the knowingness never becomes too cloying, and what Cassavetes lacks in technical proficiency, she more than makes up for in a kind of heartfelt conviction sorely lacking in the genre.