After being run over by a car following a terrifying chase, Ellie (Jessica Rothe) wakes in a bed in a home she doesn’t recognise with a man, Bruce (Joseph Cross), who claims to be her husband. There’s also a young girl, Alice (Julianna Layne), who is distraught that her mother doesn’t know her. Ellie is convinced she’s actually named Sarah, has a son, and a completely different husband. Bruce attempts to convince her that they are false memories caused by her ‘accident’.
She’s surrounded by mementos she doesn’t remember, and Bruce insists she stays at the remote house he’s taken to assist in her recuperation. The strange recollections she experiences come to a head when she sees a body wrapped in plastic in the woods, something Bruce can’t find. Her paranoia leads her to search the surrounding buildings, and what she discovers is more disturbing than she’d ever imagine.
Far from a routine memory-loss drama, writer-director BT Meza has crafted a thriller that delves deeply into Cronenberg territory but never loses sight of its real subject. At its heart, this is a tale of accepting loss. The family dynamic, complete with the horrors of gaslighting and coercion, is seen through the eyes of all three characters, giving us insight into the antagonist’s motivation. Both Bruce and Ellie are desperate to restore their lives to what they once were, with Alice stuck in the middle, fearful of losing everything.
Rothe shines in the role of the amnesiac wife who doesn’t even recognise the person staring back at her in the mirror, and Cross is understated as the seemingly patient, caring husband. When Affection moves up a gear, it becomes a completely different beast, with gooey body horror and baffling technology.
Affection pulls inspiration from several genres but could have gone further into the implications and ethics of its horrific technological aspects.
AFFECTION is on UK and Ireland digital platforms from June 8th.
