We got "GRAFTED" at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (REVIEW)
Much like Hansel, sci-fi body horror is so hot right now. From “The Substance,” “Alien: Romulus,” to the Frankenstein-like stories of “Birth/Rebirth,” “Poor Things,” and, well, “Lisa Frankenstein,” there’s been a glut of recent films about the minutiae of our bodies and how they can be manipulated and transformed. Entering the arena is “Grafted,” a gnarly tale of an outsider taking her place in an indifferent world, one face at a time.
As a little girl, Wei watched as her scientist father tried to develop a method of skin grafting to cover up his and Wei’s birthmarks. The tragic results left Wei an orphan, but years later she intends to finish his work by leaving her home in China to attend college in New Zealand. The shy genius will have to contend with her cousin Angela, who can’t imagine sharing space with anyone, let alone a relative she doesn’t know. Wei is treated as less of a family member than a nuisance, eating her “weird food” in front of Angela’s friends, Jasmine and Eve. At school, Wei’s professor claims to want to help her with her research but takes full advantage of her naivete to claim the glory (and money) for himself. The poor girl doesn’t seem to have a chance until a deadly accident leads her to use her father’s research to surprising ends. I won’t reveal what happens but Wei cracks the code along with the world around her.
Jasmine (Sepi To’a) is one fo the few who show kindness to Wei. Just don’t show your back to her.
Though they’re plentiful and visceral, “Grafted” doesn’t just focus on the horrors of flesh manipulation. The title is a metaphor for the exploitation of immigrants like Wei. She goes to another country for a new opportunity only to be ignored by the populace, used by authority figures, and minimized by her more “assimilated” relatives. As Wei, Joyena Sun displays a yearning that draws out sympathy, even as she slices a path of destruction and gore through her new home. While she struggles for love and acceptance from people who will never reciprocate, she never loses sight of her goal to finish her father’s work. Without giving too much away (you’re going to want to go in as cold as possible to really enjoy it), Jess Hong’s Angela and Eden Hart’s Eve also become versions of Wei throughout the film, and it’s impressive to watch them inhabit the body of someone completely different from the characters they’ve otherwise portrayed.
This may sound heavy-handed, but director Sasha Rainbow (making her feature debut, co-written with Lee Murray, Mia Maramara, and Hweiling Ow) makes “Grafted” really funny. The film’s message goes down smooth thanks to a tone best described as if David Cronenberg was a fan of “Heathers.” The film’s aesthetic feels candy-coated at times, without going fully into Ryan Murphy-level camp. The film’s tragic ending is undercut slightly by some misplaced opacity. What should be a major special effect is only hinted at when we should see the climax in all its glory. It could just be a budget issue, but I would have loved to see it “fleshed out,” so to speak.
Still, “Grafted” stands out in the crowded subgenre of overlooked outsiders finding their place in the world, even if it’s surrounded by bodies. It’s a sad story enhanced with blood and gore, as well as some understated special effects. See it with an audience if you can.
Seen at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
