REVIEW: “Affection” (2025)

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The film “Affection” immediately grabs you with this incredibly unsettling image: a car sitting alone on a country road, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Then, the scene shifts to a woman who’s been badly hurt, lying on the road, covered in bruises and blood. She’s just lying there, staring with a blank look, and you can see a single tear roll down her nose. It’s awful, but then she suddenly gasps, her body jerks, and she somehow manages to get up and start walking away. But just as she does, a car comes speeding along and hits her again. It’s a really shocking opening.

BT Meza’s film, “Affection,” starts strong with a visually appealing and intriguing opening scene. Jessica Rothe, a gifted actress often overlooked, delivers a compelling performance, showcasing the skills she’s demonstrated in films like “La La Land” and “Happy Death Day.” While the film begins promisingly, it gradually loses its momentum. The problem isn’t the story idea or the acting, but rather a needlessly complex plot that ultimately raises more questions than it answers.

In “Affection,” Rothe portrays Ellie Carter, but her identity is immediately thrown into question. The film opens with Ellie waking up from a nightmare to a deeply unsettling situation: she’s in an unfamiliar house, next to a stranger, and with a daughter she has no memory of. Believing she’s acting in self-defense, Ellie attacks the man, but stops when her young daughter cries out, calling her ‘Mommy.’ Overwhelmed and confused, Ellie breaks down, finding herself embraced by her family—or what appears to be her family.

Once things settle down, the man – who seems overly polite – introduces himself as Ellie’s husband, Bruce (Joseph Cross), and the little girl as their daughter, Alice (Julianna Layne). He explains that Ellie was badly hurt in a terrible accident. As a result of the trauma, Ellie experiences strange memory problems where her mind creates false memories. Doctors believe that being isolated will help her recover, so Bruce has purchased a secluded farmhouse with no connection to the outside world. They hope this will allow her to regain her true memories.

Rothe brilliantly portrays Ellie’s shifting emotions – confusion, frustration, and sadness. These feelings are complicated by clear, detailed memories of a past life where she was Sarah Thompson, married to a different man, and had a son. This former life included different parents, friends, and a completely different upbringing. These memories sharply contrast with the photos, videos, and heartfelt stories shared by her current husband, Bruce, and his mother, Alice.

Around 40 minutes into the story, things take an unexpected turn, confirming suspicions that not everything is what it appears. Strange occurrences like unexplained shaking, disturbing visions, and a mysterious neck wound begin to surface. This sets up a mid-movie twist that, while not overly complex, I won’t reveal. The issue isn’t the overall concept – it’s easy to understand – but rather the complicated way the details connect. I don’t want to give too much away, but I was left with several important unanswered questions.

While “Affection” isn’t without flaws, it definitely has some strong points. The three actors are all quite good, with Alexandra Roth carrying the film effectively. It’s also commendable that the movie takes risks, leading to some impressively gruesome special effects. Importantly, the film touches on grief and loneliness in a heartfelt way, drawing from the director’s personal experiences. However, the movie loses focus in its second half, which unfortunately diminishes the impact of everything it does well.

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2025-11-05 18:57