First-time filmmaker and director BT Meza’s film Affection, which debuted during the first week of Screamfest, is a movie that prompts you to question how we process grief and its impact on us. In Affection, a young woman named Ellie Carter (Jessica Rothe) wakes in the middle of the night, completely disoriented. She’s in bed with a man (Joseph Cross) who claims to be her husband. Not only that, the two have a daughter (Julianna Layne). Ellie doesn’t recognize either of them and is told this is because she suffered a traumatic accident that has caused a neurological disorder that resets her memory without warning. This forces her to question everything she knows, not just about her husband and child, but herself.
Going into this film, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t seen a trailer at all. Just a photo of Rothe, and the synopsis to go off. But that was enough for me. If you’ve seen the Happy Death Day films, you know Rothe is a scream queen in her own right. And while Affection doesn’t really offer scream-inducing moments, what it delivers is still effective. The moment the film opens, in the first five minutes, you’re pulled in. Rothe commands your attention. As you watch her, you try to figure out who or what the sinister villain is. As she goes into a violent convulsion, you realize that her mind is literally killing her.
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Affection doesn’t waste time getting to the point, and it does a great job of bringing the audience along with Ellie as she attempts to make sense of her life. The tension is there throughout as you watch Bruce (Cross) try to convince her of the life she doesn’t know. She struggles to reconcile having a daughter when in her mind, she has a son. She slowly begins to trust the man who claims he’s her husband, but things feel off. He’s a bit too nice, and too reassuring, and in some ways forceful in his approach. So much so, the viewer knows that something isn’t quite right with him.
Ellie knows something isn’t right either. Try as she might, her brain is signaling to her that what Bruce is telling her may not be the truth. When Affections twist does come, the viewer may or may not have seen it coming. I will say, the way Meza manages to mesh the psychological horror and sci-fi genres together works. The cast of Affection is small in size, but that allows you to sit with each one as they all get their fair share of screen time to give us their POV. Affection delivers strong performances, and what Rothe had to pull off, not just mentally but also physically, is something.
Affection leads you to question all things moral and ethical as well. And it will make you question whether you should or should not feel bad for Bruce. It’s obvious what his motivations are, but the way he goes about achieving them has you asking if he is, in fact, a villain in this story. Some would say yes, some would say no considering the circumstances.
Affection is and is not a unique story; the formula does feel like one that has been done before, but if you’re a fan of films like Don’t Worry Darling, or Wifelike, and even the anthology series Into the Dark: All that We Destroy, then this is something you will want to check out. While I did enjoy Affection, I felt as if, in the end, I was left with more questions than answers. At the risk of spoiling the film, I won’t say what they are because, as we all know, art is up for interpretation. Mezas’s debut film is an impressive piece of art and a great way to kick off this year’s Screamfest.
Affection screened at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival.
