Suitable Flesh

Didn't completely do it for me but on the bright side Judah Lewis reeeally did the most (perhaps served a little Chuck Bass?), and it had some lines that made me cackle: "Demon octopus.. awesome 😒" "Then I must've really wanted to F my old man" 🤣

Was definitely intentionally campy, 80's, soap opera-y, so don't go into it expecting a straight-forward or serious horror movie. I think it's important for critics to remember that horror is one of the only genres where people can get weird with it. It may not be your thing, and it may not be Oscar worthy, but just be glad the creativity is alive and happening.

For fans of Malignant, Tales from the Crypt.

Unlike the majority of retro-Horror that comes out this does not rely too much on nostalgia, on archetypes, clichés and set pieces that viewers find comfort in. It actually tells a story of demonic possession/body switching competently, effectively and with just the right tone: not ironic or meta, but also not taking itself too seriously. It's a B-movie that just works, with everybody doing as good a job as can be excepted within the constraints of the genre and budget. There's some suspense in how exactly it is going to get to the unhappy end, and fun it the telling. No real wrong steps, and a hell of a lot to enjoy.

A great and entertaining adaptation of HP Lovecraft as only Dennis Paoli could write. I'm glad Joe Lynch didn't change Paoli's already well-known absurd pace to fit the current horror sluggishness. "Suitable Flesh" starts off frenetic and, accustomed to the format of streaming movies, I expected it to slow down after 30 minutes and subsequently lose direction. That didn't happen.

What begins with a call for help quickly reveals itself to be a trap for a real curse. A possession in several aspects, with an emphasis, of course, on the carnal. Judas Lewis has the physical attributes necessary to make Heather Graham's seduction plausible and his character enters a never-ending sexual nightmare, until it intensifies and expands to the point of completely losing its meaning - like real nightmares.

I may have missed a bit more "flesh" given the nature of this story, but I wouldn't have been embarrassed by a bit more heat on screen and a bit more ingenuity in the cinematography and delirium effects. Despite that, the soundtrack is great, the direction is nimble and it easily brings to mind Brian Yuzna, Stuart Gordon, Sam Raimi and Wes Craven, and the entire cast plays their roles well, with special mention for Barbara Crampton in the final act.

I was looking forward to watching Suitable Flesh, it seemed like something I would love, however, I was left rather disappointed. I couldn't get into it at all, it just seemed to aggravate me to the point that I was struggling not to turn it off.

I know it's meant to be campy 80s-like horror. I get it. I just couldn't get past the acting which is flat and robotic to me.

I think the best thing about this film is Barbara, My god she looks amazing. (big Reanimator fan here) So perhaps it was worth watching it for that reason alone. I may go back and give this film another go, as I really want to like it.

Heather Graham is the successful psychiatrist "Elizabeth" who finds her daily routine interrupted by a visit from the seemingly paranoid "Asa" (Judah Lewis). Initially sceptical, she begins to become intrigued with his story that he is being persecuted by a man, on the phone, who is threatening him. Indeed one such call induces a sort of fit from the young man! A visit to his home, and she is hooked into a mystery that is somewhat reminiscent of "Fallen" (1998) as it turns our erstwhile respectable physician into someone reduced to some rather lively, impromptu, nookie before incarceration in a padded cell trying to convince her close friend "Dr. Dani" (Barbara Crampton) that she's not completely deranged. This starts off quite interestingly, with a solid effort from Lewis as the troubled youth - but as it progresses and it becomes clear to us just what is going on, the film begins to fall away and lose any potency. The last half hour is violent and brutal, but suffers from a lack of plausibility - in this or any other dimension - and it becomes repetitive and shows up the really mediocre quality of both the writing and the acting. It is watchable, if only for Lewis, but equally forgettable stuff.