AFFLICTED Review

Derek Lee in AFFLICTED
Photo courtesy of CBS Films

AFFLICTED

2014, 85 minutes

Rated R for disturbing bloody violence, and language

Review by Joshua Handler

Afflicted marks the feature directorial debut of Clif Prowse and Derek Lee, and while not the most inventive or terrifying horror film ever, it is very fun with a healthy sense of humor and just enough originality to make it worth a watch.

Derek and Clif (the directors of the movie are are the leads) are best friends and decide to take a trip around the world, filming the entire thing for their blog.  One night in France, Derek meets a girl at a bar and takes her back to his hotel room.  Derek and a few friends come back to the hotel room later to find that Derek has open wounds on his body.  Derek and Clif discover that Derek has contracted some form of horrifying disease that keeps getting worse as the time wears on.

What makes Afflicted so entertaining is the fact that it rarely ever takes itself seriously and creates a monster that's original and very human.  Prowse and Lee have obviously had a ball making this film.  Their chemistry onscreen gives the film's first horror-free half a laid-back mood that makes it extremely enjoyable to watch.  The two seem like typical guys that you'd see everyday on the street, making them instantly relatable.

The second part of the movie is not quite as funny as the first part and focuses more on horror than comedy, though it isn't scary.  However, it is still fun and features some nice scenes of gore.  The acting continues to be strong and the film arrives at a clever conclusion.

Overall, Afflicted is a solid horror film from two directors who have bright careers ahead of them.  After a slew of horrible horror films, it's very refreshing to see one that is as well-directed, acted, and scripted as this one.  Horror and non-horror fans should enjoy this.

3/4