Review by Quin
Having just watched Contracted (which I loved), I jumped at the chance to check out and review the new film Afflicted. Not because I enjoy generically titled horror movies – I mean I guess I do sometimes, we’ve seen some pretty awful titles in the last year or so, and a handful of them are good – the reason I was excited to see this right after Contracted is because the theme is so similar. But the differences outweigh all else. Where Contracted gave us a deep story, with a unique point of view for horror, Afflicted is typically male-centric, with an aesthetic that is interesting, but pretty unoriginal.
Afflicted is the latest entry on the infinite and growing list of films in the found footage genre. I won’t sit here and complain about the genre, partly because in theory I am a proponent (even though I detest most of the ones I see) – I just would imagine that you are probably tired of every critic going on and on about how much they hate found footage. So I won’t do that. The term ‘found footage’ has become somewhat misleading. The footage doesn’t technically have to be found. When The Blair Witch Project was thrust upon the world in 1999, the film opened with a disclaimer, explaining that the footage was found and what you’re seeing is exactly the way things happened. Afflicted is presented as a completed documentary, with the explanation through dialogue that it is intended to be used for a web series on social media to be titled Ends of the Earth. It seems as though that may be where the evolution of found footage lies. (Double meaning of that sentence is intended.)
In the footage, Derek Lee and Clif Prowse are getting ready to set off on a trip around the world, shortly after getting the grave news that Derek has a Cerebral arteriovenous malformation which I guess is essentially a brain aneurism that could blow at any moment. His family tries to convince him not to go, but not very hard. Derek’s gonna do what Derek’s gonna do. First thing they do on the trip is hook up with a couple of friends who are in a band. The second order of business is to get Derek laid, because a guy with a brain aneurism should probably have lots of orgasms right? That’s probably good for those. He meets an Italian woman who seems interested. They go to his hotel room, but she beats the crap out of him and takes off. In the days that follow, Derek gets violently ill, but then all of a sudden he feels amazing. The film starts to look a lot like the 2012 science fiction film Chronicle, then flips into something much darker that looks virtually identical to the first two REC films.
One thing I will say, is that Afflicted is shot really well. When Derek is feeling good post-ass kicking, there are some shots of him leaping from buildings to other buildings (yes, in a single bound) and it’s all done in a clear way that your eyes can follow, it makes sense to your brain and it doesn’t make you want to throw up. So, kudos to Derek and Clif for that. But while these two may be pretty innovative and capable filmmakers, fine thespians they are not. I have seen some great films made by Canadians, Bruce McDonald being one of my favorites, but the dialogue delivery in Afflicted isn’t much better than what you might see in an episode of Degrassi High. Luckily, the startling visuals and fast pace, combined with the under-90 minute running time, will probably hold the attention of most horror fans. But if you’re looking to challenge yourself, just go watch Contracted again.
Afflicted is out now on VOD and in theatres in the US.