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| Images Courtesy of RJLE Films |
Joe's Lynch's (Mayhem) latest offering is an absolutely wild homage to Stuart Gordon's Lovecraftian sex blenders of the 1980's. Featuring vicious body horror, gruesome kill sequences and some of the most awkward sex scenes ever filmed, Suitable Flesh is a loving tribute that never manages to completely commit to the carnal, violent delights that it seeks to emulate. Despite this, it is an intriguing approach to a classic horror story that, when taken as a whole, mostly works.
Elizabeth is a therapist who soon becomes involved with a
strange patient and his malevolent father. Soon after, Elizabeth realizes
she is being stalked by an otherworldly being who is intent on not only
taking her body, but her soul as well. Long time Stuart Gordon writer, Dennis
Paoli returns with a script full of erotic madness and splatter infused
violence. If anything, the weakness here is in the lack of transgressive
humor. Jokes are dappled throughout, but the balance of humor and menace
is something that Gordon perfected while Lynch's direction is far more insidious.
Heather Graham stars as Elizabeth and gives what is easily one of her best performances in years. Her chemistry with Jonathan Schaech is perhaps the strongest element, and the source of a lot of both violence and comedy. Scream Queen Barbara Crampton supports in a minor role while Judah Lewis (The Babysitter) showcases as the aforementioned entity. His scenes with Graham are somewhat stuffy, if only when contrasted against the good natured kink of a married couple with Schaech. Ultimately this is a story that uses Lovecraft's framework to almost parody an erotic thriller by way of a body jumping slasher, conjuring bittersweet memories of The Santa Clarita Diet with its violent ruminations on attraction and commitment.
David Matthews’ cinematography is evocative of Lifetime movies, the new host for the erotic thriller parasite that haunts the American mind's eye. There is an almost cosmetic feel to everything, setting up principals to be dismembered and when the blood flows, the crimson gore is juxtaposed against the cardboard chic aesthetic instantly harkening back to the era it seeks to honor.
Available this Friday in theaters and digital on demand, Suitable Flesh is a fun, albeit tame tribute to one of the more revered American horror directors in history. Campy performances, horny exchanges, and some genuinely fun kills all coalescence into an experience that will endear fans, but ultimately remind them that you can never go home again.
--Kyle Jonathan