In BT Meza’s directorial debut, Affection, the lines between identity and consciousness blur into a visceral blend of psychological drama and body horror. The film follows Ellie Carter (Jessica Rothe), who awakens to a domestic life she doesn’t recognize: a man claiming to be her husband and a young girl calling her “mommy.” Plagued by memories of an entirely different family, Ellie is forced to navigate a claustrophobic reality in which her “husband,” Bruce (Joseph Cross), insists on her complicity.
The film opens with a haunting tableau: a disfigured Ellie crawling away from a car crash, only to be struck down again. When she jolts awake in bed—whole and alive—the stage is set for a disorienting spiral. Affection leans into the uncanny, utilizing unsettling tech and classic horror tropes to build toward a revelation far more disturbing than a simple case of amnesia.
As the mystery unravels, the film pivots from a gaslighting domestic thriller into high-concept science fiction. What starts as a story about losing one's mind becomes a terrifying look at a world where bodies can be hijacked like machinery. The bio-mechanical interface points reveal a disturbing truth: Ellie’s consciousness is being systematically swapped. Meza excels in these moments of body horror, showcasing wet, invasive, womb-like sacs that gestate new versions of Bruce’s long-lost wife. The horror is heightened by the fundamental question of what constitutes a person when identity is no longer a fixed state, but a commodity to be overwritten.
Despite an intriguing concept for a film, the follow-through is lacking. Convoluted storylines, its consistently slow pacing and lack of character intelligence create a frustrating experience that leaves audiences hoping for more. There are several homages to past horror movies, including Invasion of the Body Snatchers, with its alien consciousness-swapping, Possession with Rothe’s impressive convulsions and The Shining chase through the maze. Affection frequently finds itself caught in its own loop; while it should be a recipe for a fantastic film, the lack of new direction keeps the story from evolving in keeping with its premise.
This stagnation is most evident in the film’s reliance on Jessica Rothe’s performance. Rothe is brilliant, delivering a visceral portrayal as she navigates the disorientation of the neurological resets. She reacts with a raw intensity that makes the audience feel every fracture in her psyche, contorting and spasming with a full-body commitment. Yet, the script eventually begins to use her talent as a narrative crutch. By the third act, the “convulse on command” trope starts to feel like a placeholder for thematic depth. The shock of the body horror is replaced by the realization that the film is stalling, using Rothe’s undeniable talent to distract from a lack of narrative breathing room.
Affection is a haunting and atmospheric debut that presents a terrifying vision of identity. It asks profound questions, but by sacrificing momentum for a repetitive cycle of shocks, it leaves the audience with a lingering sense of unease and very little reward. Even with its pacing issues, the film remains a bold, standout selection at this year’s CUFF, which continues its run at the Globe Cinema downtown until April 26. For tickets and information, check out the CUFF website.
