Affection: Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings

By Thom Ernst

Rating: B

It's fitting that director B.T. Meza's debut feature Affection opens alongside a highway, given the film's refusal to pick a lane and stay in it.

If Affection suffers from an identity crisis, it is the kind born of an enthusiastic filmmaker serving not only as director but also producer and screenwriter. It can be chaotic and confusing, but not nearly as damning as that might sound.

Given its title, and knowing this is neither comedy, romance, nor drama, we're aware from the outset that Affection will be a contradiction of themes. It's a science-fiction horror film that gleefully breaks into the various subgenres that fall out of those categories.

But the genre the film plays best is mystery. Unfortunately, Meza plays his hand too early, dropping a reveal that lands more as a puzzled "huh?" than a satisfying "aha!"

This grab bag of subgenres is not what derails Affection's efforts. In fact, watching Meza bounce from one influence to the next can be fun: a 1950s science-fiction creature feature, some Cronenberg-ian body horror, a Romero-style night stalker, a touch of Lynch-ian weirdness, a Shyamalan-esque gotcha' reveal, and, just so Stephen King doesn't feel left out, a creepy cornfield.

None of these elements is bad, nor is their accumulation. The problem starts when a new influence arrives before the last one has time to settle. The result, though intriguing, is more confusing than cohesive, burying the film's more compelling concerns beneath the clutter.

Jessica Rothe stars as Ellie, a far less boisterous, lighthearted character than the whimsical charmer she played in the horror-comedy Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. The film opens with Rothe convulsing on the side of a road, presumably in the aftermath of a horrible accident.

There is no wreckage, only a stopped car with its headlights on. She recovers, only to be run over by an oncoming vehicle. It's clearly intentional. Turns out it's a dream. Normally, that's enough for me to throw the remote at the screen. But Meza warps the waking-from-a-dream schtick into something genuinely nightmarish.

When Ellie opens her eyes, she's in a bed she doesn't recognize, in a home she's never seen, with a man she's never met and a child who is not hers. Sure, the amnesiac with no recollection of who she is remains a familiar trope, but in Meza's hands, and through Rothe's committed performance, it's presented with enough urgency that it can't be ignored.

Ellie believes she's Sarah: educated, married, and the mother of a young son. Amnesia is one thing. Detailed memories of another life put a whole new spin on the amnesia story. Rothe's performance anchors the increasingly convoluted narrative even as it drifts into abstraction.

Nine-year-old Julianna Layne as Alice, the little girl pining for Ellie's affection, is equally impressive, delivering a heartbreaking performance that far exceeds expectations for an actor her age. Rounding out the cast is Joseph Cross, who plays Bruce, the patient, put-upon nice guy left to guide Ellie from the trauma of her accident back to an imposed reality of which there is a chance that full recovery might never happen.

Together, they provide the emotional weight that keeps Affection invested in people rather than the film's unresolved puzzles.

Meza proves adept at creating suspense and unease, even if some of the film's later revelations muddy rather than clarify. One special effect distracts from the film's meaningful intentions by its resemblance to your aunt's holiday Jell-O salad.

Affection is eventually betrayed by its own internal logic that at times seems inconsistent and difficult to follow, at least by me.

Ultimately, this is Affection's greatest frustration. Beneath its science-fiction detours, horror influences, and increasingly elaborate mythology lies a far more compelling story about grief, control, the scars left by abuse, and the complicated obligations we owe the people we love.

The mystery grows larger as the film progresses, but the emotional core grows smaller.

Affection remains intriguing throughout, and often admirable in its ambition, but it never quite trusts the very themes that make it worth caring about in the first place.

However, do hang in for the very, very final line. It’s the kind of punchline the movie doesn’t just deserve but earns.

Affection. Directed by B.T. Meza. Starring Jessica Rothe, Julianna Layne and Joseph Cross. Available on digital platforms June 9.