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.
