Suitable Flesh

A great and entertaining adaptation of HP Lovecraft as only Dennis Paoli could write. I'm glad Joe Lynch didn't change Paoli's already well-known absurd pace to fit the current horror sluggishness. "Suitable Flesh" starts off frenetic and, accustomed to the format of streaming movies, I expected it to slow down after 30 minutes and subsequently lose direction. That didn't happen.

What begins with a call for help quickly reveals itself to be a trap for a real curse. A possession in several aspects, with an emphasis, of course, on the carnal. Judas Lewis has the physical attributes necessary to make Heather Graham's seduction plausible and his character enters a never-ending sexual nightmare, until it intensifies and expands to the point of completely losing its meaning - like real nightmares.

I may have missed a bit more "flesh" given the nature of this story, but I wouldn't have been embarrassed by a bit more heat on screen and a bit more ingenuity in the cinematography and delirium effects. Despite that, the soundtrack is great, the direction is nimble and it easily brings to mind Brian Yuzna, Stuart Gordon, Sam Raimi and Wes Craven, and the entire cast plays their roles well, with special mention for Barbara Crampton in the final act.

Suitable Flesh (2023), directed by Joe Lynch, ventured into the realms of horror and mystery thriller but ended up delivering a confusing and uninspiring narrative. The movie, drawn from H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Thing on the Doorstep," fails to capture the eerie essence of Lovecraftian horror.

The plot unfolds around a psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with one of her young patients, later discovering that he's linked to an ancient curse. Despite the intriguing premise, the storyline descends into a muddled mess as it progresses.

A major downside was the acting, which was woefully inadequate from the entire cast, including Heather Graham and Judah Lewis. The performances lacked depth and authenticity, rendering the characters unrelatable and the plot more confusing.

The inclusion of four unnecessary sex scenes added nothing to the plot and felt like a desperate attempt to add some flair to an otherwise dull narrative. These scenes were distasteful and detracted from the already scant storyline.

The gore, which could have been a redeeming factor, was neither shocking nor well-executed. The scenes intended to be horrifying were rather bland, failing to evoke the desired reactions from the audience.

The runtime of 1h 40m felt much longer due to the lack of engaging content and coherent storytelling. The film's attempt to be "campy and creepy" was poorly executed, as noted by Rotten Tomatoes.

Overall, "Suitable Flesh" is a disappointing venture into horror that fails to entertain or scare, garnering a generous 4 stars for the occasional decent cinematography and a few well-done special effects. The movie is a forgettable addition to the 2023 horror genre, lacking the spine-chilling essence that horror enthusiasts crave.

SUITABLE FLESH is loosely based on "The Thing On The Doorstep", by H. P. Lovecraft.

Psychiatrist, Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham) has a loving husband (Johnathan Schaech) and a thriving practice. One day, a young man (Judah Lewis) shows up at her office, unannounced. Once Elizabeth agrees to see him, her life begins to change in bizarre, uncontrollable ways. Soon, she is caught up in a whirlwind of sex, murder, and the supernatural.

This is an occult tale of demonic soul / spirit transference, where an ancient entity jumps from body to body, causing mayhem. Both Ms. Graham and Mr. Lewis do an admirable job during their personality shifts / exchanges. Barbara Crampton has a vital supporting role as Elizabeth's best friend, Dr. Daniella Upton. Don't miss her during the jaw-dropping, gore-drenched final act!

A well-realized horror film, it's the sort of movie the late Stuart Gordon might have made...

Unlike the majority of retro-Horror that comes out this does not rely too much on nostalgia, on archetypes, clichés and set pieces that viewers find comfort in. It actually tells a story of demonic possession/body switching competently, effectively and with just the right tone: not ironic or meta, but also not taking itself too seriously. It's a B-movie that just works, with everybody doing as good a job as can be excepted within the constraints of the genre and budget. There's some suspense in how exactly it is going to get to the unhappy end, and fun it the telling. No real wrong steps, and a hell of a lot to enjoy.

I was looking forward to watching Suitable Flesh, it seemed like something I would love, however, I was left rather disappointed. I couldn't get into it at all, it just seemed to aggravate me to the point that I was struggling not to turn it off.

I know it's meant to be campy 80s-like horror. I get it. I just couldn't get past the acting which is flat and robotic to me.

I think the best thing about this film is Barbara, My god she looks amazing. (big Reanimator fan here) So perhaps it was worth watching it for that reason alone. I may go back and give this film another go, as I really want to like it.