Fantastic Fest 2013 Review: Afflicted (2013)

Cast: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse, Baya Rehaz
Director: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse
Country: Canada
Genre: Horror | Thriller

Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest 2013. For more information on the festival visit http://fantasticfest.com and follow Fantastic Fest on Twitter at @fantasticfest. Adrian’s interview with directors Clif Prowse and Derek Lee is available here.

Friendship is the heart and soul of the fake documentary film shot in the spirit of found footage from Clif Prowse and Derek Lee. The two grew up together and made home movies that made their way into the opening of their film. Clif runs a travel blog, “Ends of the Earth.” Derek agrees to join Clif on a one-year journey across the globe while documenting everything for the travel blog. The major concern leading into the trip is a brain condition that threatens Derek’s life.

Afflicted finds its own voice and puts its own spin on the genre category by mixing the best that found footage horror has to offer.

With the threat of Derek’s health in place the two start out the trip with a carefree attitude resembling that of a couple of college guys backpacking through Europe. They travel to Spain, France and Italy. Along the way they meet up with some friends, bar hop, get drunk and have a lot of fun. Their travels generate hits on the blog and a barrage of comments from friends and family. An incident occurs and Derek becomes quite sick, hence the title of the film. As Derek becomes sicker his appearance and actions become dark and ultimately scary.

Afflicted will draw comparisons to Chronicle and An American Werewolf in London. Derek’s changes grant him super strength and speed. Clif embraces the changes that Derek goes through and this works because their friendship is strong, beautifully illustrated in the opening act. Afflicted finds its own voice and puts its own spin on the genre category by mixing the best that found footage horror has to offer. The film loses minor points due to the borrowed premise from other films. Some audiences will celebrate the borrowed premise; others seeking something completely original may be turned off. For example, as Derek gets stronger Clif feels the urge to test his limits while documenting the entire thing. Sound like something they did in Chronicle.

“Found footage” is quickly becoming a curse word among genre fans. What sets Afflicted apart is the fact that the monster is shooting the film and later cutting it for the audience. In that respect Afflicted is a more documentary, point of view style. Found footage is usually prefaced with a blurb about how the following footage was discovered at such and such site and so and so location. It’s refreshing to see the monster via POV. Some of the shots look like a badass video game.

The film is shot in Canada, France, Italy and Spain. Norm Li (Cinematographer) captures beautiful images of each country. For those worried of the usual shaky cam that accompanies found footage films, don’t worry. While the film is presented as handheld shots, the headache inducing shaky cam factor is completely absent. There are some mind-bending shots that will puzzle and fascinate the audience. There are a couple of foot chase scenes involving parkour that are absolutely breath-taking, fascinating and thrilling. Afflicted is a visual feast for the eyes of movie lovers who love well-shot films.

Clif and Derek’s performances are exceptional. Their emotional payoffs work because of the groundwork and lifelong friendship developed leading into their first feature length film. The actions of each man is unquestioned because anyone with a best friend should buy into everything that’s happening on-screen. To question why Clif sticks around while Derek turns into a monster means you probably need better friends. Maybe not everyone would pick up a camera and ask their monster friend to keep up with them in a scooter race but that’s some of the best moments of the film.

There are some mind-bending shots that will puzzle and fascinate the audience. There are a couple of foot chase scenes involving parkour that are absolutely breath-taking, fascinating and thrilling. Afflicted is a visual feast for the eyes of movie lovers who love well-shot films.

Afflicted is a wonderful film about friendship masked under the umbrella of horror. The film is funny, scary, cool and intriguing. The build-up makes for a rewarding finale. If the idea of Chronicle with a horror twist interests you, Afflicted is a must-see. If found footage films turn you off you probably decided to dislike it before you watched it. Make no mistake; this is not just another found footage film. Prowse and Lee put their own stamp on the film hopefully resulting in a nice career for both filmmakers.

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Adrian Charlie

Staff Film Critic

I'm from Victoria BC and love watching films from all corners of the world. I'm fascinated by interpreting films and connecting with other film lovers. I love sharp, clever dialogue (QT), beautifully shot films (The Thin Red Line) and a filmmaker who trusts the audience to put it all together and leave room for discussion (PTA).

Latest posts by Adrian Charlie (see all)

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