PLOT: A bright but socially awkward exchange student takes her craving for popularity to horrifying heights.
REVIEW: With The Substance getting all sorts of accolades since its release, it feels like we’re in a different era for body horror. No longer is it relegated to the dark corners of cinema and instead can be treated for what it truly is: a way to showcase metaphors/themes through the usage of truly disgusting images and transformations. And it’s why the subgenre has always appealed to me as we often get a story that makes you think combined with gooey goodness. Shudder’s Grafted throws subtlety out of the window in a way that may not appeal to all but it was right in my wheelhouse.
Grafted follows a young girl named Wei who witnesses the death of her father as he’s doing some experiments with skin grafting. Years later she moves in with her aunt and cousin and has been continuing her father’s work. The problem is that her aunt is never home and her cousin, Angela, thinks she’s super weird. Which she is, but it’s kind of comical how absurdly mean Angela is about it. This is really about body image and acceptance, eventually shifting into a place of revenge. Joyena Sun is fantastic as Wei, a girl who doesn’t quite know how to interact with the world around her. I love the interactions between Wei and a homeless burn victim. It’s heartbreaking how they bond over their deformities and I really wanted more of their connection. There’s a moment with them on a train that is some truly beautiful imagery. To say their story is tragic would be an understatement.
Angela and her friend Eve make for two of the worst human beings I can imagine. They are superficial women who don’t care about anyone except themselves. As soon as one does something that you can’t imagine will get worse, the other one goes ahead and outdoes it. They are almost to the point of being caricatures; they’re so evil. And the terrible nature of Angela makes Jess Hong‘s performance all the more impressive. She and Eden Hart deliver multifaceted performances that show they’re capable of more than just being “mean girls.”
And as someone who loves the “guilty get punished” trope in horror, there’s plenty of comeuppance to enjoy. There’s a moment where the film becomes a full-blown slasher and I thought I was in love. It still felt in line with the character’s motivations, while doing a bit of a shift in genres. I was in love with the look of the film, really taking advantage of a shallow depth of field and wide-angle lens. When the camera isn’t perfectly still, it glides along in an effortless way. The shots are composited together in a way that really brings a beauty to the horror.
In terms of body horror, I wouldn’t say it’s anything too gross. Maybe I’ve just been around the block too many times but it’s ultimately pretty tame aside from a few gooey moments. The brief moments of CGI bridge the practical FX together pretty well and never took me out of it. Its finale goes full Substance, to the point where I worry some may consider it a ripoff, but I still felt it was doing its own thing. Body Horror existed long before that film brought it back into the mainstream.
The timeline of the film can be a little wonky, with things happening very quickly in some instances and extremely slowly in others. This worked for the hyper-reality surrounding every scene. Just like Wei, the film is focused on the events happening in front of the lens and not the consequences of those actions. Ultimately I really loved my time with Grafted. Combining two of my favorite subgenres, it tells a story that feels familiar while still being unique enough to have its own identity. The performances are absolutely wonderful and everyone gets a chance to shine. But, from experience, slasher fans and body horror fans tend to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum, so it may cause this one to be polarizing.
GRAFTED IS STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON SHUDDER ON JANUARY 24TH, 2024.
The post Grafted Review: Body Horror That Goes Full Slasher appeared first on JoBlo.
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