I was torn in
deciding what to reveal in my review of Afflicted, because I greatly admire the
marketing team’s restraint in revealing what the film is actually about. The
plot description is purposefully vague and the trailer never clarifies exactly
what the “affliction” is. On the other hand, this is one of those rare
experiences where I was quickly disappointed once I realized what major plot
point had remained hidden from the marketing. Personally, I would probably have
enjoyed this movie more had I known more about the sub-genre it was going to
conform to.
Even dismissing
the film’s reliance on a heavily overdone sub-genre, there are additional
elements of Afflicted which grow
incredibly predictable and cliché due to the found-footage format. Although the
restrictions of this style of filmmaking forced filmmakers (and stars) Clif
Prowse and Derek Lee to make some cinematography choices which become the
highlight of the film, we are also saddled with the usual trope of derivative
found-footage dialogue. No matter how carefully these films try and set up the
reasons for filming everything, it always reaches a level of absurdity in the
third act.
Donning their
own names for the roles they play, Clif plays the overly-obsessed video blogger
and Derek is his best friend suffering from a potentially deadly condition.
They decide to take a year-long journey around the world together, with Clif
wearing several cameras at once to document the experience. This journey is
quickly stopped short when Derek is attacked by a mysterious woman and left
with a particular affliction. All of this premise can grow wearisome rather
quickly, and the filmmaker’s solution is to overwhelm the second half of the
film with as much bad-ass action as there is over-the-top melodrama. There is
also nothing satisfying in terms of a climax, resulting in a weak shouting
match instead of a much-needed final action sequence.
The Blu-ray
release includes a handful of deleted scenes, as well as two making-of featurettes.
The first is behind-the-scenes footage of the filmmaking, while the second is
an “Anatomy of the Scene” for the window-jumping sequence.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
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