Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: BT Meza
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Joseph Cross, Julianna Layne
Based on her outstanding turn in the excellent horror comedy
Happy Death Day, I was sure Jessica Rothe was set for superstardom. Aside from
that movie's disappointing sequel, Hollywood has failed to come calling for Rothe. You can't help but
imagine that if mainstream rom-coms were still being made, Rothe would be
a leading star in that field. But Hollywood's loss is the indie horror
sphere's gain, as that seems to be where Rothe has downed her professional
anchor. Horror has always provided roles for underappreciated actresses,
and Rothe is the latest to benefit from the genre's egalitarian
nature.
It seems remarkable that a first-time filmmaker should be able to snag a
talent like Rothe, but that's just what writer/director BT Meza has
pulled off with this his feature debut Affection. It's a meaty part that Rothe bites into with relish, delivering the
sort of performance that may have Hollywood casting agents regretting
overlooking her for more mainstream roles.
Rothe plays Ellie, who wakes up in the middle of the night and doesn't
recognise the man in her bed. That stranger assures her that he is her
husband Bruce (Joseph Cross), and he explains that she was left
with amnesia following a car accident. Bruce has brought Ellie to a remote
farmhouse with no contact with the outside world, explaining that he acted
on the advice of medical specialists in doing so. Ellie isn't buying his
story. She is sure that her name is Sarah, and she has clear memories of
another life.
It seems obvious from the off that we're in for a Gaslight-style thriller, but Affection throws a spanner in the
works in the form of Alice (Julianna Layne), Ellie and Bruce's
young daughter. Alice recognises Ellie as her mother, so there is clearly
something a little different at play here.
With a woman questioning her reality and her relationship with her
husband on a remote farm, Affection covers similar ground to
the recent Australian sci-fi horror
In Vitro. Its Australian counterpart was more assured in its storytelling
however, and Affection struggles to communicate some of its
ideas once it enters the realm of science fiction. There are images and
concepts here that wouldn't be out of place in a 1950s b-movie, but Meza
attempts to play this premise with a straight face. I'm not sure the
filmmaking always sells it - there is an exposition dump that might leave
you with more questions than answers - but Rothe's performance certainly
helps ground the drama.
Rothe throws herself into a role that veers from psychological to
physical. There are body horror moments late on that made me think she
could make a great Ash if they ever make a more faithful gender-swapped
Evil Dead remake. The dual identity narrative means Rothe is
asked to essentially play two roles here, and she sells Ellie's
development from a confused pawn in a sick game to a woman mustering up
the strength to turn the tables.
Cross is especially sinister as the man claiming to be Ellie's husband.
Rather than mustache twirling, Cross plays Bruce as a sympathetic nice
guy, but there is something deeply unsettling in the way he displays
affection for Ellie and Alice. Perhaps what's most disturbing is Bruce's
sense of entitlement and how he exploits Ellie's mental state in such a
non-consensual manner.
As Alice, Layne is a revelation. Much of the plot relies on Layne being
able to pull off a performance that keeps us guessing, and there are a
couple of heartbreaking moments that focus on Alice's inability to
understand why the woman she believes is her mother is acting like a
stranger.
Affection does suffer somewhat from budget constraints.
Flashbacks could have made things a lot more clear for the audience,
rather than sitting the protagonist down in front of a screen as a cheap
way of explaining the backstory. But there are enough clever ideas and
striking images here to suggest Meza is worth investing in. The notion of
rejigging an old b-movie premise as a straight up horror movie is a
commendable effort, and Rothe's committed performance just about pulls it
off.
Affection is on UK/ROI VOD from
June 8th.
