Actors/Directors: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Run Time: 86 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
“Afflicted” is the latest found-footage horror film from newbie directors Cliff Prowse and Derek Lee. This film took home awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay (Horror Feature category) at the 2013 FantasticFest, as well as many other festivals. I liked it enough and it was pretty clever but I just feel like I am getting a bit tired of the whole found-footage genre. Just seems like every young director is taking that route and it feels over saturated no matter how original this film is.
Official Premise: This terrifying horror thriller follows two best friends who set out on the trip of a lifetime around the world. Their journey, documented every step of the way, soon takes a dark and unexpected turn after an encounter with a beautiful woman in Paris leaves one of them mysteriously afflicted.
Since this is a found footage film, it has that shot on high-def handheld feel. Nothing special audio or video. The special features included on the Blu-ray are nothing to scream about either. There are some never-before-seen deleted scenes and two featurettes. The first is “Afflicted: Behind the Scenes”, which takes you on the set of the film and into the making of the film. The other is “Anatomy of a Scene: The Window Jump”, which looks into the mix of practical stunt work and visual effects used to film this action sequence.