[FrightFest 2026] FILM REVIEW: The Flesh Itself

The Flesh Itself - FrightFest UK Premiere Review

Director: Ian SBF

Starring: Jorge Guerreiro, Pierre Baitelli, Jade Mascarenhas, Camillo Borges, George Sauma

Written by: Deive Pasos, Alecandre Ottoni, Ian SBF

Produced by: Carolina Alves, Alexandre Ottoni, Deive Pasos, Ian SBF

Cinematography by: Vinicius Brum

Original Score by: Bruno Gouveia

Synopsis:

Three deserting soldiers during the Paraguayan War in 1870 stumble upon a secluded house inhabited only by a mysterious farmer and a young woman. What seemed like a safe haven turns into a terrifying nightmare.

Thoughts:

Horror films set during a wartime scenario offer an opportunity to explore how characters who have been damaged by war (physically, mentally and emotionally) react to other horrors that exist on the fringes of warfare, be they real or supernatural. The best of these usually feature a scenario where a group of soldiers believe that they have found safety only to realise that they are now facing something more sinister than anything they may have faced on the battlefield. That premise is explored in Ian SBF’s film, 'The Flesh Itself'. 

Set during the late 1800’s, the film follows 3 deserters from the Paragyuan war who struggle in their escape from combat. They eventually come across an isolated house inhabited by a farmer and a young woman. They soon find out though that their safe haven is not as it seems as a dark truth comes to light plunging them into a new battle for survival. 

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From the beginning, director Ian SBF does a terrific job at shrouding the entire film in a gloomy atmosphere of dread and does not let up right until the end. The desaturated colour palette does a wonderful job at conveying how bleak the war torn land of the film is and when the characters reach the farmhouse, the candle lit rooms and how the light strikes the character’s faces highlights the mystery and paranoia that pervades throughout. Aside from the visuals, the string heavy score from Bruno Gouveia ranges from lamentation to unsettling over the course of a few notes which does a great job at jolting the audience with the sudden mood changes. 

It is very much a film about desperation and that is a thread that connects the characters from various backgrounds. The three soldiers Gabriel (Pierre Baitelli), Anselmo (George Sauma) and Gustavo (Jorge Guerreiro) each have their own reasons for deserting, dictated by how they ended up in the army in the first place. When they seek refuge in the farmhouse owned by Fazendeiro (Luiz Carlos Persy) with Garota (Jade Mascarenhas) you learn that they have their own secrets too. The soldiers are desperate to escape and make it obvious, despite not actually saying anything. The residents of the farmhouse keep their cards closer to the chest but you can’t escape an underlying sense of desperation to them which becomes more apparent as the film goes on. 

Initially the film is very much a moody slow burn as Fazendeiro interrogates the soldiers around the kitchen table. Whilst these scenes are dialogue heavy the way Ian SBF uses close ups and camera pans keeps things moving and moments of silence say a lot more. And thanks to how he holds the camera on certain characters, keeps us questioning their next move. The performances of the cast are at their best during these scenes, The three soldiers are great especially Jorge Guerreiro as the former slave, Gustavo, as the weight of his past shines through and is clear to see on his face throughout. The stand out performance of the film though is Luiz Carlos Persy as Fazendeiro, the creepy head of the farmhouse who is magnetic anytime he is on screen. The physicality of his performance is terrific but his gravelly voice carries so much menace making him feel so threatening and dangerous where you can’t take your eyes off him. 

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For all of the brilliant tension building in the first two thirds of the film, the explosion of violence in the final act feels all the more impactful thanks to the care that was placed in the slow turning of the screw with the characters. There is a particular scene that seems to be paying tribute to the likes of 'Misery' and 'Audition' that is quite wince inducing where you keep telling yourself that there is going to be a way out for the victim. Some might find the big reveal at the end of the film to be a bit derivative and obvious but the craft that is put into everything that precedes it makes it an earned ending for me. 

'The Flesh Itself' is a case of good old fashioned tension building over immediate shock value which is too pervasive in modern horror. It is a film that builds a sense of trust with its audience before delivering the goods at the end. Thanks to some top notch dedicated performances (particularly from Luiz Carlos Persy) and skilled direction from Ian SBF the film is a grimly impressive meditation on desperation. 

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

-Joseph McElroy

'The Flesh Itself' received its UK Premiere at FrightFest '26 on August 29th