Rollin's movies frequently tell conventional horror stories. The Shiver of the Vampires, for example, gives us one of the most familiar of all horror plots: a newlywed couple spends an evening at a castle and discovers it is crawling with vampires. But Rollin tells his stories in the most unconventional of ways. In Shiver, the vampires become intellectual hippies who spout bizarre theories about the history of religion in Europe. His movies contain elements of horror cinema, but Rollin insists he does not make horror films. Not surprisingly, because his movies tend to defy the expectations of audiences, reactions to his movies can be volatile. His first full-length film, The Rape of the Vampire, was greeted with violent protests in Paris. And throughout his career, his movies have encountered hostile critical reactions. The French Board of Control (which certified movies for release in France) described Rollin's The Demoniacs as "a complete stupidity."

Compounding the problem, Rollin frequently solicits expressionistic, extravagant performances from his (largely inexperienced) actors. Or he allows the actresses to remain virtually immobile--like cold, beautiful sphinxes. It's no coincidence the Rollin movie that arguably received the best reception from audiences and critics--Fascination (1979)--also features the most naturalistic performances of any Rollin movie to date.

Rollin's movies did not achieve widespread cult status because of their acting. Audiences, instead, have reacted to Rollin's images. While the performances frequently have the same effect as fingernails on a chalkboard, the images themselves tend to stick in your mind for long after the final fadeout. Cathal Tohill and Pete Tombs described Rollin's cinema this way: "[Rollin's movies] look back to a romantic, doom laden past, filled with displaced vampires and uncanny beauty…His best films have a bleached out intensity, a unique mood all of their own."

His movies combine pulp imagery with the plot mechanics of serials. You'll find American models, such as The Perils of Nyoka (remember the scene where the native tribe strings up Nyoka over a fire pit?), combined with the classic French serial tradition of Louis Feuillade, as epitomized by Les Vampires and Fantomas. In contrast to his enticingly hyperactive subject matter, Rollin's approaches storytelling with a cool, dispassionate eye. Whereas directors such as Jose Larraz (Vampyres) and Jess Franco (Succubus) indulged in intensely emotional subject matter and images, Rollin preferred languid, morbid contemplation. So while his subject matter involved comic book aesthetics, Rollin filtered his storytelling through a high art sensibility.

These contrasts in style and subject matter tend to elicit confusion and consternation from audiences; however, for those people who can appreciate Rollin's wildly idiosyncratic and non-conformist vision, his movies are filled with morbid delights.