Courtesy of FrightFest/Blue Finch
Writer and director BT Meza makes his debut with Affection, a haunting tale about the horrors of trauma and the desperation of clinging to memories that may or may not be accurate. This is a film that believably challenges your perception of reality, with the climax raising even more questions for you to ponder.
Affection primarily focuses on Ellie (Jessica Rothe), a woman who suffers a traumatic brain injury in an accident, leaving her unable to remember or recognize her loved ones at times, while also believing that her real name is Sarah and that she lived a completely different life. To assist with her healing process, Ellie’s husband, Bruce, takes his wife and their young daughter on a trip to a secluded house in the countryside, believing that being away from civilization and having no contact with the outside world might help accelerate Ellie’s recovery. However, Ellie is plagued by nightmares and horrific visions, which Bruce assures her are a completely normal part of the recovery process.
Although she is best known for her comedic role as Tree Gelbman in the Happy Death Day franchise, Jessica Rothe is perfectly capable of delivering more solemn performances, and she captures the desperation and hopelessness felt by Ellie in Affection with remarkable nuance. Rothe is clearly torn between loving her family and not knowing who they are. She perfectly balances these conflicting aspects of Ellie, making the character’s inner trauma feel almost palpable. Because the film features only three actors and takes place in a completely secluded setting, the feelings of loneliness and isolation that Ellie experiences are mirrored in the audience, with her detachment from the rest of the world making her slow loss of reality seem all the more plausible.
Joseph Cross is also impressive as Bruce, plausibly displaying empathy toward his wife while occasionally revealing darker aspects of his personality. Cross skillfully portrays Bruce as a man struggling to keep his mask from slipping. Julianna Layne delivers a strong performance as the couple’s young daughter, Alice, with the actress demonstrating more sincere emotional range than many adult performers manage.
Ellie’s visions soon become more sinister, including a disturbing moment when she sees what appears to be a bloody human body bag in the woods—with something crawling inside it. However, Bruce continues to assure his wife that she’s simply imagining the things she thinks she sees. Viewers will no doubt start to question their own sanity along with Ellie’s as the reality of her visions is constantly challenged. The screenplay for Affection invites us to wonder what is and isn’t real, with Meza successfully keeping us guessing until the very end.
The sci-fi elements of Affection are introduced toward the third act, and while the actual twist isn’t entirely new, the way it’s slowly and unexpectedly built up still makes it feel like a surprising development. Viewers will remain unsure which direction the plot will take as the sci-fi themes become more prominent. Since most of these elements are introduced through Ellie’s perspective, the new developments come as just as much of a shock to the audience as they do to her, deepening the mystery as the story unravels. However, there’s an extended sequence that mostly shows computer readouts and a few cutaways with little of interest, during which attention may wane.
Despite its limited budget, Affection features some impressive visual design toward the end. The gradually revealed sci-fi environment evokes a much larger production, and the sight of advanced, futuristic props against a rural backdrop makes the twist feel all the more unexpected. Although there isn’t a large amount of gore or graphic violence, what is shown is disturbing enough to linger in your memory. While there are a few unnecessary jump scares, most of the suspense and tension are built slowly and steadily, creating a genuinely unsettling atmosphere.
Affection tackles themes of loss and desperation in a way rarely explored by other films, resulting in a unique and memorable debut bolstered by strong performances and unexpected twists. Meza has delivered an impressive first feature and will no doubt continue to impress as his career develops.
Summary
With its strong performances and a script which keeps you guessing and leaves you shocked by its revelations, Affection is a sci-fi horror film which you will certainly be remembering for a very long time.
Categorized: Reviews
