In the wake of the success of The Substance, more audiences will be willing to give body horror a try. Grafted is the latest take on one of horror’s most misunderstood and overlooked sub-genres. Wei leaves China after the death of her scientist father dies due to a failed experiment. She enrolls in Auckland University in New Zealand where she has trouble fitting in. With her dad’s notebook in tow, she continues his research with frightening results.
The cold open promises a gross story. Like any good scientist, Liu decides to use himself as the guinea pig for his work. Both he and his daughter have noticeable facial scars that he is working on a cure for. There are excellent shots of the grafting process. Along with the disgusting visuals are equally yucky sound effects. Grafted immediately pulls audiences in.
This is also he high point of the film. Unlike The Substance, it is a singular tale. Beauty is a very big part of the plot, but the standards are those that Wei places on herself. Surprisingly, the mark that is so important in kicking the story in motion, almost takes a back seat. There is a subplot involving her father’s work and the scarf she wears to cover the mark gets mentioned once or twice, but it never feels as important as those opening moments. Director Sasha Rainbow (who also helped with writing duties) seems to focus on who and what Wei wants to be.
It is not the worst idea. Many body horror movies are stories about individuals trying to manage in a strange world. At times, Grafted succeeds in conveying this feeling. This is often limited to the mean girl antics from other students, however. Audiences know that Wei wants to look “beautiful”, but there is no substance to it. The only thing that drives her is he shallow desire to look a certain way.
Considering the direction Grafted takes, this is probably what it is going for. It ends up feeling more like a series of face swapping scenes instead of a coherent message, though. There are some great effects, but they are mixed in with glaring plot holes. Despite these flaws, it ends up being a fun watch.
Grafted comes to Shudder January 24.
