Afflicted

When I first spotted this movie I figured it would be right up my alley. Although i'm picky about horror movies I do enjoy them, and unlike many it seems, I find the "found footage" style of movie-making intriguing. Overall, Afflicted delivers an entertaining experience throughout, but in my opinion has a few specific fall backs.

First of all, while the acting was mostly good throughout, there were certain scenes where I felt things were a bit cheesy. That isn't my favorite descriptive word, but it happened to be the first that came to mind when thinking about it so I think it fits. Considering the filming style and what i'm assuming was a low budget, they do deserve credit for making a believable pseudo-documentary about their journey, but not everything had me swayed into thinking "yeah, this definitely feels unscripted and completely natural". Considering that this is the basic premise of "found footage" style films, to make the viewer feel like they are watching a real person instead of an actor, "Afflicted" falls short in a few areas which detract from the overall viewing experience in my humble opinion.

My second issue centers around the progression of the film. "Afflicted" starts off really strong, pacing the story along perfectly as you watch the characters depart on their journey and document the various places they visit. Things continue well until one of the main characters comes down with the "affliction" aforementioned in the movie title. From there, things tend to be less harmonious. Soon the story quickens, and you are left with parts that don't always seem to connect well. Certain scenes could have been omitted completely in my opinion.

Despite a few missteps, I have to say I quite enjoyed this movie. It's not perfect, but hey, few horror films usually are these days. I give the creators a ton of kudos for making a found footage film that actually doesn't suck, as there have unfortunately been many over the years(and a few good ones as well I might add). I would recommend this film to fans of the horror/mystery genre, or for anyone wanting to watch an entertaining, albeit different, type of movie.

It kept me interested from start to finish, and I give it a solid 6/10.

I have seen an obscene amount of Horror films and a crazy amount that are Cam. I expected this film to be similar to Paranormal Activity - The Marked One which i found to be okay, nothing too special... But immediately from the start realised it was to take a much different tone, which not only was new and fresh for the Cam Horror genre but also to films in general. The film feels fun, fresh and upbeat from the start with a good use of SFX showing a real 'College Movie' vibe then quickly becomes engrossing and dark with plot twists and turns that offer something new to this over produced genre.

Would Recommend

We picked this movie to watch last night expecting to laugh at the usual hand held cam nonsense but wow what a surprise. Excellent acting and a truly ingenious script and premise for a movie, it was very good. You guy in to the characters from the start with one being afflicted by a life threatening illness and the other going with his friend around the world to ensure he is safe. Well their trip to Paris blows that out of the window as Derek goes off with the French girl Audrey. They let him have the hotel room to his self and try to prank him the next morning by rushing in to the room. They find a dazed, battered, bruised and bloodied Derek who has no recollection of the previous night. Derek and Cliff move on to Italy and that's when it starts going crazy. Funny, scary, unsettling and ultimately compelling it was a cool movie.

I enjoy a good flick, and am particularly pleased when it is a low-budget passion project. The Afflicted meets those marks. While the film has some elements that have been done before, such as bad things happening while traveling abroad and the "found footage" angle, Lee and Prowse did a good job adding new elements and keeping it somewhat fresh. Compared to many low (and high) budget horror films, the actors did a fine job and the special effects/stunts were actually believable. I also enjoyed the mystery element to the story that keeps you wondering throughout, but I think I would've preferred a little more explanation as to what happened at the beginning of the film.

All-in-all, a good, simple story that kept me engaged throughout. I look forward to seeing more from these guys.

This movie is a good example of what storytelling, believable narrative,character interplay and balanced action is ALL about. I was unacquainted with the sub-genre of this film and went into it expecting to let it unfold as a cautionary tale, in a similar manner as the movie Contracted. It is really rare,in my opinion, to actually stay interested as a film develops its characters and back-story. The solid acting, quirky dialog,pace and storyline are interesting enough that the viewer is content to watch as Derek and Clif prepare to undertake filming the vacation of a lifetime. Afflicted manages to avoid sticky,boring clichés and deliver some real thrills as the story and palpable desperation begins to unfold. Without giving away too much of the plot, I will say that this movie is EASILY one of my favorites in a much over-used genre, and the sympathetic, believable protagonists in the film will really keep you caring what happens to them next. Stick around for the credits and enjoy this refreshing, intense and superbly done film. Cheers!