(dirs. Derek Lee, Clif Prowse )
*First time viewing
While the
horror genre is littered with found-footage films of varying degrees of
quality, most haven’t really stepped outside of the supernatural playground. Afflicted offers a little something different
in the form of a really solid transformation movie that’s part Chronicle and part An American Werewolf in London. The film follows friends, Derek and
Clif on their world travels for their web series. In Paris, Derek goes home
with a girl he meets at a club and contracts a disease that turns him into a
vampire.
Like
most found-footage films, Afflicted
requires some suspension of disbelief at that fact that the characters are
still concerned with filming while the shit is hitting the fan. But some
impressive effects work and POV scenes more than make up for whatever concerns
in logic there may be. Afflicted is
one of the best shot found-footage films I’ve seen and Lee and Prowse do an
impressive job pulling off triple duty as screenwriters, directors and lead actors.
Derek’s transformation is really interesting to watch and the film does a good job of delving into the changes his body undergoes (there’s a particularly
gnarly moment involving an eye). The film adds some new layers to vampire lore
while also posing some realistic difficulties that help the film avoid
some of the usual clichés.
Scare Factor: 3/5 The film has a few great scares
and gross-out moments that are really aided by the POV camera work. Most impressively, the film presents an unneutered version of the vampire that has sadly
been missing in movies for quite a while. If you’re looking for a good modern
vampire flick check out Afflicted, which
is still available at the Redbox.
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