SUITABLE FLESH (2023)
As anyone who knows me can attest, I am woefully out of step with modern horror. In the days before social media, I used to be surgically grafted to message boards, and I had committed to memory the release dates of various upcoming projects. That was then. Now? It wouldn't be unfair to say that I live in the past. But generally, when something is worth watching, I hear about it. Such is the case with Suitable Flesh, a film that reteams writer Dennis Paoli with ageless scream queen Barbara Crampton. This is an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep," and if the closing credits jog your memory, it's because Paoli also provided the screenplays for Re-Animator and From Beyond. Does Flesh reach those levels of psychoactive tomfoolery? Let's find out.
Director Joe Lynch does a commendable job of stretching an obviously low budget, even if the exposition does feel constrained to stay within the parameters of a handful of sets. I dug the clever scene transitions. My commentary might come off as dry, but I did enjoy this 80's throwback. It's just...eh, it's only a throwback in spirit, as it never truly realizes the freakout genius of, well, Re-Animator and From Beyond. Fans will appreciate the practical special effects, though. The ugly truth is that we've seen the story of a baneful, body-hopping entity play out in so many other genre films, it becomes challenging to lose yourself in this one. Still, kudos to Heather Graham for her multi-hued performance. I bought what she was selling, and yes, the nudity helped. 'Twas unnecessary, but it helped. Recommended to fans of Nyarlathotep and astral projection.
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