[FrightFest Halloween '25] FILM REVIEW: Affection

Affection - FrightFest Halloween UK Premiere

Director: BT Meza

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Joseph Cross, Julianna Layne

Written by: BT Meza

Produced by: Bay Dariz, J.P. Ouellette, Austin Walk, BT Meza

Cinematography by: Jason Hafer

Original Score by: Daniel Berk

Synopsis:

Ellie confronts a disturbing condition resetting her memory, unable to recognize her husband and daughter. Each reset disorients her, leaving haunting recollections of an unfamiliar life.

Thoughts:

Jessica Rothe, best known as Tree from the 'Happy Death Day' films, returns to horror in BT Meza's very intriguing science fiction, damaged mind based horror film. She is a fantastic scream queen and her performance is what kept me watching.

The film opens with Rothe's Ellie awakening violently on a desolate country road. Utter darkness save for the headlights of a car strewn on the side of the road. She attempts to stand up through the obvious pain of a broken ankle. She walks forward and suddenly her hand twitches and then spasms. Soon her whole body begins to spasm too and she falls to the ground, rolling and contracting.

Eventually she composes herself and again attempts to make it to her feet. Determined to keep walking forward with nothing else in her eyes except a tenacious spirit. And then as if from nowhere a car approaches from behind and she begins to run. But sadly the car catches up and smashes through her.

Fade to black and Ellie is lying in a bed she doesn't recognise beside a husband she can't remember. Who is Ellie and why is she here?

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After some violent confusion, Ellie claims to be someone else but then we find out that she has an extreme psychological condition that affects her memory. This is confirmed when her daughter appears, screaming and frightened by her mother's behaviour. Ellie doesn't remember giving birth to her daughter. But even more extreme than that is that she remembers giving birth to a boy.

What a start and what an intriguing premise. But then the film suddenly slows down as we discover the extent of Ellie's condition and how it has affected her family life. With only three actors and essentially one location, the pacing is a bit tedious and repetitive at times and then we get the inevitable twist and I started to zone out a little bit.

LISTEN TO THE DISSECTION PODCAST

Much of the film explores the unravelling of Ellie's amnesia-like illness but there's some effective science fiction elements that do elevate the narrative. Sadly the execution of these revelations, while widely ambitious, didn't quite land with me. Thankfully Rothe's performance, which is hypnotically emotional and very physical too, brought me back in towards the finale and I found myself fully on board with her and where her journey would eventually lead to.

Fair play to Meza as this is his debut feature film and he does a good job at addressing some very real issues before it delves into science fiction territory, at which point it begins to spiral a little bit.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'Affection' recevied its UK Premiere at FrightFest Halloween '25 on November 1st