PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Written by Dennis Paoli and directed by Joe Lynch, Suitable Flesh strives to be a complex, mind-bending yet accessible, dark psychological thriller involving themes of identity, possession, and the supernatural. It follows Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham), a psychiatrist who becomes entangled in a series of events involving a patient named Asa Waite (Judah Lewis) and his father, Ephraim (Bruce Davison), who appears to possess the ability to switch bodies. Or does he really? That is the initial question, at least.
As Elizabeth delves deeper into the odd mystery surrounding the Waite family, she becomes a pawn in their dangerous game, quickly revealed to involve body-swapping and manipulation. The narrative unfolds with a sense of escalating tension as Elizabeth grapples with the consequences of her involvement with Asa and Ephraim. It largely becomes a psychological horror flick, with some body horror and awkward eroticism thrown into the mix.
Suitable Flesh and the Descent into Chaos
Elizabeth’s descent into chaos is paralleled by her deteriorating mental state as she struggles to differentiate reality from the supernatural occurrences unfolding around her. Then again, is there a difference to separate, anyway? As if to drive the point about mental collapse home, the story (including its climax) largely occurs in a psychiatric hospital, where Elizabeth’s body becomes inhabited by Ephraim, and a confrontation ensues between Ephraim, now inhabiting Elizabeth’s body, and Dr. Daniella Upton (Barbara Crampton), Elizabeth’s friend.
The resolution is a mix of violence and psychological intrigue, with the issue involving this weird force ultimately gaining control of bodies and associated trappings. The film tries to be a gripping and intense exploration of the human psyche, delving into themes of power, control, and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural. However, I find it falls a little short, and this is where the film’s fans might disagree with me.
As I watched Suitable Flesh, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing, and it took me a while to determine what it was. Then I realized it was pretty simple: For me, at least, I didn’t find there were many memorable moments or images. It’s not like I think it’s a terrible movie. I somewhat understand the whole H.P. Lovecraft angle and the horror community star power of Barbara Crampton and the other attractive people in the main cast. Still, nothing about this movie really grabbed me.
Maybe I’ll have to re-watch Suitable Flesh and see if I can connect with it better in the future. It’s even possible I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of movie. At the end of the day, though, it’s the film’s job to keep me engaged and get me in the mood for whatever it has in store. I wouldn’t say this is a negative review per se, but just that this movie didn’t successfully reel me in and cancel whatever feelings of cinematic burnout I was experiencing.
What are your thoughts on Suitable Flesh? Is there something this review missed? Let us know in the comments!
