I’ve been a fan of Adam Green’s for a long time and so, by association, I’ve also been a fan of Joe Lynch’s for a long time! The real-life BFF’s worked on multiple projects together (and still collaborate, thank goodness!) including the hilarious horror series Holliston (if you haven’t watched it, I beg you to remedy that!) and films like Chillerama, Frozen, and Hatchet 2.
Now, Joe Lynch has made a solo name for himself as a successful director, helming hits like Everly, Mayhem, Knights of Badassdom, and an episode of the new Creepshow series on Shudder. So, I was pretty excited to watch Lynch’s new film, Suitable Flesh, based on Lovecraftian lore (specifically, the story “The Thing on the Doorstep”) starring incredible actors Barbara Crampton and Heather Graham.
Suitable Flesh: What’s the Story?
Suitable Flesh is the story of psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Graham) who meets up with a young man who appears to be experiencing serious psychological issues. Eager to help and somehow drawn in by this mysterious, mesmerizing, seemingly schizophrenic stranger, she gets sucked into something more abnormal than she’s ever seen in her career.
The man, Asa (Judah Lewis), is cursed, and Elizabeth gets caught in the crossfire of a pretty damn weird situation. When the spell incantation is uttered, a body switch occurs, and this leads to some chaos as you can imagine! It also leads to hilarity!
Elizabeth’s best friend, fellow doctor Daniella Upton (the legendary Barbara Crampton) tries to assist her friend but has no real clue what in the world is happening. Elizabeth’s husband, Edward (Johnathon Schaech), just wants his normal wife (and life) back, but it’s too late. Elizabeth has become part of Asa’s sad journey, a curse handed down from his father Ephraim (Bruce Davison).
Suitable Flesh Is Campy, Fast-Paced, and Fun, Jumping Right Into the Body Horror From the Get-Go!
This movie definitely gave me ‘80s vibes, which of course, I love. It reminds me of other Lovecraft-inspired films of the past such as Re-Animator and From Beyond, and there’s definitely a lot of love here for Stuart Gordon, which is quite purposeful (and appreciated!).
Joe Lynch steps in with a fun cameo role as an orderly at the psychiatric hospital that Elizabeth ends up in after her erratic and terrifying behavior lands her in a padded room. Though the film definitely reminds me of older movies, it’s crafted through Lynch’s lens in a more modern, updated way, giving it a slicker look and feel than those Stuart Gordon vibes from the good old days.
The actors’ performances take center stage in this body horror blowout, and I enjoyed every second of the ride. Schaech stuns as Elizabeth’s handsome, unwitting husband and stars in some memorable moments of this movie.
The ending offers a fun twist that I didn’t see coming but definitely appreciated, and it wraps up the story well yet somehow leaves you wanting more of the frenzied fun.
As a big fan of other Lovecraft movie adaptations, I went into this film expecting to love it, and I definitely did. It’s always a treat for me to see Barbara Crampton, who I’ve been following for as long as I can remember. She nails it in this role as the concerned bestie but also professional doctor trying to get to the bottom of what’s happening to Elizabeth. I especially enjoyed one hilarious body-swapping scene in particular — you’ll know it when you get there.
Once Again, Joe Lynch Doesn’t Disappoint.
You really can’t go wrong with body switching, especially in a comedic context. One of my all-time favorite films is the Disney classic Freaky Friday (no, not the remake, though that one is fun too!) starring a young Jodie Foster, but more recently, I enjoyed Freaky with Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn.
It’s always fun to see how an actor will tackle a role that requires body switching (especially under circumstances such as a scary and dangerous occult curse!) and both Heather Graham and Judah Lewis played their parts to perfection — as their own characters and as each other’s!
I love horror comedies but, in my opinion, it’s quite difficult to pull off a good one and balance all the necessary elements: horror/gore, humor, and scares. To me, these films are like gold. Some examples of great horror comedies that I think knock it out of the park include Deathgasm, What We Do in the Shadows, Evil Dead 2, and Happy Death Day, to name a few.
Suitable Flesh perfectly captures the satirical, sarcastic humor that makes a good story really pop. It’s tongue in cheek without being too self-aware, comical but still packed with gore, entertaining and interesting. Does it have moments of being a bit slapstick? Absolutely! Is that bad? Not at all!
The horror is real, but what Joe Lynch delivers reminds us to not take even the scariest story too seriously, and you’ll wind up having way more fun!
Top-notch acting, great gore effects, and a fast-paced, funny plot make Suitable Flesh a fine fit!
Become a Patron!Images via CineMaterial and screenshots taken from the Suitable Flesh official trailer.
