Suitable Flesh

Original story featured characters Dan Upton and Edward Derby. Here we get Daniella Upton and Elizabeth Derby. Because...of course. I didn't care for the psychiatrist angle either, it seemed too convenient and not fitting for a Lovecraft story. I am always understanding (although oftentimes regretful) of the fact source material needs to be modified and left out to fit into a movie, but this was based on a short story. The performances overall were fine; Graham is usually always good in whatever she's in. I just wish the screenplay had stayed truer to the original story. The final chapter in it was amazing and would have translated well to film.

I have a conspiracy theory that there's an active competition in the film industry among directors who can do the worst Lovecraft adaptation ever. How else could you explain all these terrible adaptations that make the same mistakes over and over and over again?! They don't even try to do a decent adaptation. If the actual challenge was to make all the mistakes possible then Joe Lynch really did his homework, otherwise he failed miserably. And it all seems pretty intentional to me. Wanna ruin a Lovecraft adaptation? Move it to the present. (CHECK) Add lots and lots of sex. (CHECK) Remove the fear from the unknown (CHECK) and replace it with lame body horror elements (CHECK). Remove logic (CHECK), tension (CHECK) and the disturbing narrative process where the bad things already have happened and the protagonist is already dead or went insane (CHECK) Remove everything else that made Lovecraft great (CHECK) and keep some Cthulhu related props (CHECK) and famous names like Arkham and Miskatonic only (CHECK). Shame on you Joe Lynch, shame on you!

I was looking forward to watching Suitable Flesh, it seemed like something I would love, however, I was left rather disappointed. I couldn't get into it at all, it just seemed to aggravate me to the point that I was struggling not to turn it off. I know it's meant to be campy 80s-like horror. I get it. I just couldn't get past the acting which is flat and robotic to me. I think the best thing about this film is Barbara, My god she looks amazing. (big Reanimator fan here) So perhaps it was worth watching it for that reason alone. I may go back and give this film another go, as I really want to like it.