TIFF 2013: Afflicted Review

Afflicted

Afflicted

Midnight Madness

Directors: Clif Prowse, Derek Lee

Afflicted can be easily dismissed as simply being a more supernatural-than-superhero take on the found footage origin story that Chronicle attempted last year, but it’s still a fun and innovative low budget bit of meta-horror.

Advertisements

The directors more or less play themselves as Clif follows his buddy Derek on a year long trip around the world starting in Europe. Already going against doctor’s orders thanks to a brain aneurism that could burst and kill him if he suffers any head trauma, Derek begins to get sick after a hook up in Paris goes terribly wrong. The two friends quickly abandon the douchy City-TV styled travelogue they set out to make, and Clif pleads with online viewers to talk some sense into Derek, who refuses to end the trip for anything, believing it might be the last chance he ever has to see the world.

Prowse and Lee are working with an impressive skill set stylistically with some ambitiously shot action sequences in the latter going. It takes liberally from a lot of other movies, but it takes the cribbed notions in novel directions. It’s found footage, but also body horror and a classic monster movie by the time it’s finished. Two great twists keep things going nicely and from things getting stale and turning into more of the same old, same old.

Screens

Monday, September 9th, Ryerson Theatre, 11:59pm

Advertisements

Wednesday, September 11th, Scotiabank 9, 8:45pm



Comments

Advertisement



Advertisement


Advertisement