Introducing Carmilla (2019) – A Comprehensive Overview

A Gothic Romance Reimagining a Vampire Classic

Carmilla (2019), written and directed by Emily Harris in her feature directorial debut, is a British romantic horror film that reimagines Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 gothic novella of the same name. Set in the late 18th century, this atmospheric coming-of-age story stars Hannah Rae as Lara and Devrim Lingnau as Carmilla, weaving a tale of ***, repression, and supernatural mystery. With a strong female-driven narrative, the film stars Jessica Raine, Tobias Menzies, and Greg Wise in supporting roles, delivering a visually stunning exploration of queer desire and societal prejudice. Premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 28, 2019, and released in UK cinemas on October 16, 2020, Carmilla has garnered praise for its haunting visuals and feminist perspective, though it sparked debate for its departure from the novella’s vampire horror roots. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the film’s narrative, cast, production, themes, reception, and cultural significance, offering a complete introduction to its complex legacy.

Synopsis: A Tale of Enchantment and Tragedy

Set in the 1780s English countryside, Carmilla follows Lara (Hannah Rae), a 15-year-old girl living in isolation on her family’s sprawling estate. Under the strict supervision of her governess, Miss Fontaine (Jessica Raine), and her distant but caring father (Greg Wise), Lara struggles with her burgeoning sexuality and intellectual curiosity, stifled by a repressive household. Her only outlet is her fascination with medical texts and the macabre, which Miss Fontaine forbids, even strapping Lara’s left arm to force her to use her right hand, a symbol of enforced conformity. Lara eagerly awaits a visit from a friend, Charlotte, but learns Charlotte has fallen mysteriously ill, leaving her lonely and restless.

The narrative shifts when a carriage accident near the estate brings a young woman, Carmilla (Devrim Lingnau), into the household to recuperate. Suffering from amnesia, the enigmatic stranger captivates Lara, who names her “Carmilla” and forms an immediate bond. As the two grow closer, their friendship blossoms into a passionate romance, marked by tender moments like a ***. However, Carmilla’s presence coincides with unsettling events: Lara grows pale and lethargic, other local girls fall ill, and Miss Fontaine, clutching her rosary, suspects Carmilla of supernatural influence, possibly vampirism, fueled by a mysterious book found in the wreckage.

The doctor (Tobias Menzies) warns of a plague, amplifying fears, while Miss Fontaine’s *** create a tense triangle with Lara and Carmilla. As rumors of Carmilla’s true nature spread, the household spirals into paranoia, leading to a tragic climax where love and superstition collide. The film, running at 94 minutes, is a slow-burn drama that prioritizes atmosphere and emotion over traditional horror, leaving viewers with a haunting meditation on love’s cost in a repressive world.

Hannah Rae and Devrim Lingnau: A Tender but Underpowered Duo

The performances in Carmilla are pivotal to its emotional resonance, with Hannah Rae and Devrim Lingnau anchoring the central romance. Hannah Rae, as Lara, brings a delicate intensity to the isolated teenager, her wide-eyed curiosity and subtle defiance capturing Lara’s yearning for connection. Rae’s portrayal shines in quiet moments—like studying forbidden medical texts or gazing at Carmilla—though some critics, such as ohthatfilmblog.com, noted her chemistry with Lingnau lacks the spark needed to fully engage audiences in the tragic love story.

Devrim Lingnau, as Carmilla, exudes an ethereal charisma, her soft-spoken demeanor and enigmatic smiles suggesting both vulnerability and otherworldly allure. Lingnau’s performance is understated, aligning with the film’s ambiguity about Carmilla’s vampiric nature, but her limited screen time and dialogue, as critiqued on Letterboxd, hinder deeper character exploration. Their blood-sister ritual, a standout scene described by POMEgranate Magazine as “tenderly painting their lips with blood,” is a high point, though the romance’s “bloodless lack of intimacy,” per The Guardian, limits its emotional impact.

Jessica Raine, as Miss Fontaine, steals scenes with a commanding performance, portraying a governess torn between control and repressed desires. Raine’s nuanced depiction, praised by ohthatfilmblog.com as “head and shoulders above the rest,” adds complexity, hinting at her own queer longing, though the script leaves this thread unresolved. Tobias Menzies, as the doctor, and Greg Wise, as Lara’s father, deliver solid but underutilized performances, their roles serving as catalysts for the escalating paranoia. The ensemble, including minor characters like a marginalized Black maid (noted as problematic by Common Sense Media), creates a claustrophobic household, but Rae and Lingnau’s chemistry struggles to power the romance, as some felt it “came out of nowhere” due to sparse dialogue, per Amazon reviews.

Production: A Visually Stunning Female-Driven Vision

Written and directed by Emily Harris, Carmilla was produced by Film Movement and Noruz Films, with a largely female creative team, including producers Lizzie Brown and Emily Precious, emphasizing a feminist lens, as highlighted by Film Movement. Shot in 2018 in East Sussex, England, the film leverages the region’s lush gardens and moody interiors to craft a gothic atmosphere, with a budget estimated at $1-2 million, per IMDb. Cinematographer Michael Wood, lauded by In Their Own League, used natural light—candlelit interiors, sun-dappled exteriors—and close-ups of insects and hands to create an ethereal, almost hyper-real aesthetic, earning comparisons to Crimson Peak (2015).

The score by Philip Selway of Radiohead, featuring delicate strings and haunting percussion, enhances the film’s simmering tension, though some Rotten Tomatoes reviewers found it understated. Production design by Alexandra Walker, with period costumes and unsettling props like medical illustrations, immerses viewers in the 1780s, though Amazon critiques noted occasional “disjointed” imagery, like excessive bug shots. The film’s slow pace, covering only the novella’s first half, as per WLW Film Reviews, reflects Harris’s focus on mood over narrative momentum, a choice both praised for its artistry and criticized for lacking story clarity.

Production faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the UK theatrical release from April 3 to October 16, 2020, with a video-on-demand release on October 19. In the U.S., Film Movement distributed it in virtual cinemas on July 17, 2020. The film’s non-rated status allowed graphic dream sequences, like a ***, but avoided ***, focusing on emotional intimacy, as noted by Common Sense Media. Harris’s decision to downplay vampirism, inspired by Le Fanu’s ambiguity, sparked debate but aligned with her vision of a queer, feminist retelling, per Film Movement.

Themes and Symbolism: Repression, Queer Love, and Superstition

Carmilla explores themes of repression, queer desire, and the destructive force of superstition, reimagining Le Fanu’s novella as a romantic drama rather than a horror tale. Lara’s isolation and Miss Fontaine’s control reflect patriarchal constraints on female sexuality, with the governess’s rosary and arm-strapping symbolizing religious and societal oppression, as analyzed by POMEgranate Magazine. The blood-sister ritual, where Lara and Carmilla share blood and kiss, symbolizes their defiant bond, a “sapphic awakening” that challenges norms, per WLW Film Reviews.

The film’s ambiguity about Carmilla’s vampirism—potentially a victim of homophobia rather than a supernatural predator—critiques prejudice, as Letterboxd users noted, framing her as a “***” vilified by patriarchy, per Film Movement. Local girls’ illnesses and Lara’s lethargy hint at vampiric draining, but Harris prioritizes superstition’s role in fueling fear, aligning with 18th-century anxieties about “otherness,” as discussed in In Their Own League. The tragic ending, avoiding the novella’s vampire slaying, underscores the cost of queer love in a repressive world, though POMEgranate criticized it for denying a happy resolution, unlike modern queer narratives.

Symbolically, the estate’s candlelit interiors and lush gardens represent Lara’s inner conflict—dark repression versus vibrant desire. Insects, a recurring motif, symbolize decay and forbidden curiosity, while Carmilla’s amnesia evokes a blank slate corrupted by suspicion, as per Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s feminist lens, driven by its female creatives, reclaims Le Fanu’s lesbian vampire trope from male-gaze exploitation, though some Amazon reviews felt it leaned too heavily on clichés.

Reception and Controversy: A Divisive Gothic Gem

Carmilla received mixed reviews, with a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 20 critics, reflecting its polarizing reception. Film Threat called it “sensual, poetic, dark, and gothic,” eclipsing Twilight in depth, while Film Movement praised its “wistful yet sensuous” adaptation, appealing to fans of queer coming-of-age stories. In Their Own League hailed it as a “masterpiece” for its brooding atmosphere and feminist commentary, and WLW Film Reviews gave it a 7.6/10 for its “tender seduction.” However, The Guardian criticized its “awkward dialogue” and “bloodless lack of intimacy,” rating it two stars, and ohthatfilmblog.com found Rae and Lingnau’s chemistry lacking, undermining the tragic climax. IMDb users gave it a 5.3/10, with some, like namob-43673, decrying its “style over substance” and “banal” love story.

Audience reactions, as seen in 2020 X posts like @filmesaficos, were split, with fans praising its “fascinating” visuals but others, like @Amazon* reviewers, calling it “tedious” and “not a vampire movie.” The film’s minimal box office, due to its limited release and COVID delays, was offset by strong streaming performance on platforms like Tubi and Peacock, per Box Office Mojo. Controversy arose over its departure from Le Fanu’s horror, with Letterboxd users lamenting the lack of explicit vampirism, and its tragic ending, criticized by POMEgranate for squandering a queer happy ending, unlike The Carmilla Movie (2017). The marginalization of a Black maid character drew criticism for outdated representation, per Common Sense Media.

Cultural Significance: A Queer Gothic Milestone

Carmilla arrived during a resurgence of queer and gothic cinema, alongside Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and The Lighthouse (2019), reflecting a trend of reimagining classic texts with modern sensibilities. Le Fanu’s novella, a precursor to Dracula and a cornerstone of lesbian vampire fiction, inspired countless adaptations, from The Vampire Lovers (1970) to The Carmilla Movie (2017), as noted by Letterboxd. Harris’s version, stripping away overt vampirism, aligns with 2010s feminist retellings like Wuthering Heights (2011), emphasizing repression over sensationalism, per The Guardian.

The film’s female-driven production, highlighted by Film Movement, challenged the male gaze of earlier Carmilla adaptations, resonating with #MeToo-era calls for authentic queer narratives. Its 1780s setting and focus on superstition tapped into cultural anxieties about prejudice, particularly homophobia, relevant to 2019’s global push for LGBTQ+ rights. Compared to From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), previously discussed, which uses horror to explore chaos, Carmilla employs gothic romance to probe intimacy, both featuring seductive outsiders (Carmilla, Santanico) but differing in tone.

Rae and Lingnau’s performances launched their careers, with Rae appearing in The Essex Serpent (2022) and Lingnau in The Empress (2022). Harris’s debut established her as a visually bold director, though Carmilla remains her most prominent work. Its cult status, fueled by Blu-ray releases and streaming on Shudder, endures, with 2025 X posts like @vibe_trib3 celebrating its “gorgeous” imagery.

Legacy and Availability

Carmilla (2019) is a visually arresting, emotionally complex adaptation that reclaims Le Fanu’s novella for a feminist, queer audience, though its slow pace and ambiguous horror divide viewers. Its 2020 DVD and Blu-ray releases by Film Movement, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, are prized by fans, per Amazon. Academic analyses in Journal of Gender Studies explore its queer gothic roots, while Letterboxd reviews, like @GothicFan’s “slow but striking,” affirm its niche appeal.

As of May 22, 2025, Carmilla is available for streaming on Peacock, Tubi, Shudder, Kanopy, and Prime Video (subject to regional availability), with English subtitles. Rental and purchase options exist on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube, and Google Play. Physical copies are available through retailers like Amazon and Film Movement.

Conclusion: A Haunting, Imperfect Romance

Carmilla (2019) is a bold, visually captivating reimagining of a gothic classic, weaving a tender yet tragic tale of queer love and societal repression. Emily Harris’s direction, paired with Hannah Rae and Devrim Lingnau’s evocative performances, crafts a film that enchants with its atmosphere but struggles to ignite its central romance. While its minimalist horror and bleak ending spark debate, its feminist lens and stunning cinematography make it a compelling addition to the Carmilla canon, rewarding viewers who embrace its slow-burn mystery.

For fans of gothic romance, queer cinema, or literary adaptations, Carmilla offers a haunting, unforgettable journey—one that lingers like a whispered secret in the candlelit dark.