Grafted

The 1950s, a time when color film was still pricey and beyond the reach of the independent producers, was the decade when horror came into its own. There were no tropes and set pieces because everything was new and fresh. Often the scripts were written on the back of a napkin, and the ending was more about how much money was left in the budget than anything else. The good news is that GRAFTED captures this spirit perfectly, the viewer never knows what is going to happen next. The bad news is that a film should be about more than grabbing attention, it really should have a sense of direction. And this one does not. Nice start, but clearly the budget ran out somewhere along the way. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The film starts really strong, ushering in a blend of Chinese and Kiwi aesthetics, and offering a premise that's erupting with potential. The opening scene sets the tone for gory, skin-crawling events to follow. The first act easily won me over, and that's because I could connect to the protagonist Wei's struggles as an immigrant trying to fit in (given her childhood trauma and deformity), and possibly make her mark in academics. While both these core conflicts take centerstage, the body horror elements somehow fail to work (from a screenplay perspective), even when the special make-up effects are gnarly and effective. Scenes suddenly lack cohesion and the plausibility of certain events is heavily questionable (for instance, no one noticed the abrupt changes in height and weight?). The final act lands unconvincingly, and the film decides to go for maximum shock value. The performances also fail to evoke greater emotions, and the conclusion feels rather tame. The Substance, this is NOT.

I ADORE horror with female leads, especially ones where it deals with deeper issues

But honestly, this movie disappointed me. The message was clear within the first half hour as to what it wanted it's message to be about and I was intrigued but after about 45 minutes, it all just became a bit silly.

The acting felt like overacting and the pacing was just off. I kept finding myself checking when the movie was finally going to be over. I think the idea for this movie is brilliant but this delivery was just 100% not it for me. I kept getting taken out of it and all together, was very unimpressed.

In Grafted, we follow a socially awkward exchange student from China who is trying to fit in with the popular girls while also striving to make her deceased father proud. She's highly intelligent and, just like her father, works on groundbreaking research capable of restoring human tissue.

After a promising opening scene, the movie introduces us to our main characters, consisting primarily of our protagonist, Wei; her aunt, Ling; her cousin, Angela; and Angela's best friends, Jasmine and Eve. There is also a teacher named Paul, who takes a strong interest in Wei's rather unethical work which could become a problem.

Once we get to know the characters, we spend time with Wei as she makes progress in her research while struggling in vain to fit in with Angela and her friends. The film leans into teen drama, unfortunately focusing too much on this aspect rather than her research, which is undoubtedly the more intriguing element that audiences will want to see. The theme of beauty ideals has long been explored through the subgenre of body horror, as seen recently with The Substance. Grafted inevitably draws comparisons to that film, which works to its detriment, as The Substance is far superior. As the movie delves into teen drama, you find yourself waiting for the body horror to take center stage and push boundaries. While it does reach that point eventually, it's not nearly enough.

Without giving away spoilers, I can say that at a certain moment, a transformation occurs, and from that point on, the story starts to fall apart. Things stop making sense, and the film glosses over logical inconsistencies, expecting the audience to overlook them. The pacing also slows down, and moments that should have been impactful fail to pack a punch. The movie occasionally drifts into comedy, which is a fitting addition though. Towards the very end, body horror enthusiasts will finally get something to enjoy, but the film would have been far more effective if it had leaned into those moments more frequently.

Unfortunately, the script demands a lot from the viewer, and if you're not fully on board, it becomes difficult to immerse yourself in the story. The premise had so much more potential, and while the concept was strong, certain narrative choices made it hard to stay engaged. Despite this, Grafted is still a decent watch, and its body horror elements are well-executed, but it could have been much more enjoyable. [5,8/10]

There's some compelling drama in the first half of the movie. Things spiral out of control in an organic, chaotic way.

We get a very strong character development.

It's body horror but nothing too crazy. It could have gone for a little more gore but it's adequate how it is.

This is not an incredible movie by any means. But it has a fair amount of compelling story that is often lacking.

It deserves more than 5. But also doesn't have enough of an "it" factor to be a great movie.

There's some character and situational cliches.

It's a very entertaining movie with some emotional elements.

Ultimately it's a pleasantly average movie. Not sure why I'm writing this review other than 5/10 seeming a little too low.

It's something you can throw on if you need a movie.