Every year you’re bound to be caught off guard by at least one film you see at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. It’s hardly a surprise; the festival is a nexus of talent where filmmakers come together to show off some of their best work. But I certainly didn’t expect to come out of the festival having a new film I consider one of my all-time favorites. Grafted has taught me to dash my expectations going forward, and expect the unexpectedly fantastic.
Wei’s expansive scarring on her face and neck isn’t just a disfigurement, it is an ever-present reminder of her past: it was the same condition her father had sought to cure in both of them before his mysterious and horrific death in front of her. When her mother sends her to live with her absent aunt and estranged cousin to attend college in New Zealand, her father’s scientific experiments are brought back to life. But as Wei’s awkward attempts at assimilation intersect with her miraculous discovery, what results is an ever-maddening spiral of physical and psychological suffering, sending her falling through a grotesque biological nightmare with no end in sight.
There are echoes of beloved horror films past throughout Grafted; Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser are especially prominent thanks to the film’s Miskatonic premise and absolutely dastardly body horror. The effects may be heavily digital as opposed to those alumni of the subgenre, but make no mistake, they are solid and blended well with the practicals that are present. When your hard-to-pull-off flesh ripping (pun very intended) manages to make the entire theatre squirm and react out loud, you have to be doing something very right.
Much like Re-Animator, Grafted indulges itself in some humor throughout, cutting through its harrowing themes with more tongue-in-cheek moments. The struggles of cultural assimilation the film tackles come to life through Wei’s fight to fit in, feeding into some of its more comedic moments while still maintaining the level of pensiveness needed to address the subject matter with respect. The film’s script feels less like its tightrope walking the thin line between horror comedy and horror drama, and more like its dramatic elements are being complemented as they dance with the dark sensibilities of its laughs.
This dance is undoubtedly carried by relative newcomer Joyena Sun, who is whipsmart in her performance as Wei. With a true grasp of who Wei is and the sometimes-amusing-sometimes-uncomfortable quirks that entails as a young woman trying to force herself into a new mold, Sun doesn’t just make you feel for her. You’re outright driven to root for her, and this seems to only heighten and become more intense as she makes all the wrong moves. Jess Hong (playing Wei’s cousin Angela) and Eden Hart (playing Eve, Angela’s cold friend) likewise are absolutely phenomenal, displaying expertise in their cadence and expressiveness that hails them as some of the next great horror actresses. The way the three leads play off each other’s performances is the movie’s greatest strength, with each successive scene feeling fun and unexpected. There’s a memorable tone that reminded me of much of the fun I had watching Diablo Cody and Karyn Kusama’s outing in Jennifer’s Body, and it’s most pronounced when these three are put center stage.
The cinematic landscape set for them by director Sasha Rainbow proves itself to be crafted with love by her creative choices. Framing her environments to accentuate the characters on screen comes with ease. It is a funny parallel to see the mainstage of the movie is a house under construction, because Rainbow is constantly playing with the surroundings, building and rebuilding spaces to fit the mood like an architect. She’s a filmmaker who is intimately aware of the space and place she has control over.
The film’s color palette and lighting regularly shifts around, creating new and vivid moods for moments of absolutely gnarly body horror and even more disturbing emotional beats to take place in. The setting and visuals are enhanced by an original soundtrack full of exciting music, experimental pop sounds accompanying Wei on her exploration of body and self, and becoming all the more intense as things just continue to go wrong in all the best ways.
Grafted is a perfect balance of substance and style, and one of the best additions to the pantheon of coming-of-age horror films since Raw, and even Carrie before it. It’s got everything you could want out of a body horror film, driven by an ensemble of up-and-coming talent bringing to life the vision of Rainbow’s strong new voice in the genre. I’m eagerly awaiting its distribution to Shudder, as it easily deserves its soon-to-be-found fan-favorite status. Be sure to keep your eyes (and maybe just a little bit of your skin) peeled for this one.
Grafted played at Brooklyn Horror Film Fest on October 21st, 2024, and will be heading to Shudder January 24th, 2025.
