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Friday, August 5, 2016

Afflicted: A Refreshing Perspective on one of the most popular characters in fiction


 
 
 
 
 
 
Rating:

***

By: Da’Mon Guy

The horror genre is one of the most popular among movie lovers. However, it is one of the most difficult to keep fresh and relevant. Filmmakers are constantly in search of new ways to induce scares and chills as their audience views their material. One of the newer ways that filmmakers are looking to infuse some creativity into the genre is the use of the first person perspective when it comes to movies. Ever since the success of the Blair Witch Project, Hollywood has been finding ways to re-invent the use of the camera perspective.

Afflicted is intriguing, innovative occurrence that ingeniously institutes a new perspective on one of the ageless characters in all of fiction. It brings a hyper realistic touch to the vampire genre through the combination of the use of new age cinematography, a reality show approach to the delivery of the story, and finally a touch of much needed realism being added to the story. The film stars Derek Lee (No Backing Out), Clif Prowse (1st film), and Baya Rehaz (Blue is the Warmest Color). The movie debuted in 2013.  

The film is makes for an interesting new outlook on the vampire genre. It has a riveting viewpoint on one man’s transformation into the revered character. It’s one of the better Vampire films that isn’t as good as some of the other Like Byzantium and Let Me In but it does make for a good watch.  Afflicted has a very humanizing approach to one of the greatest characters in cinema. The way that it’s presented to its viewers allows its viewers to live vicariously through its characters. The first thing that stands out about Afflicted is the director’s choice of camera perspective. Afflicted implements the use of the now popular documentary style story that is becoming popular. It makes for an interesting perspective to the story added a higher level of realism, however, it doesn't truly do the story justice.

One of the biggest detractors from the film is that the first 15 minutes are nearly worthless. The film could have easily been better served by eliminating these. The filmmakers tries to establish the characters and the closeness of the two main stars but it’s very boorish. It nearly loses your attention and forces you to question why you are watching this movie. Soon after it does pick up and then it finally begins to live up to some of the promise of the trailers. It begins to take the shape of a very unique outlook on one of the most popular figures in movies.

The cast is consist of mostly unknowns. Derek Lee and Clif Prowse head the films and star as themselves. Both do a good job however their novice acting skills really are magnified as the film progresses. Because of the limited acting ability, the film doesn’t achieve the level of enjoyment that could have been reached had there been better actors.

There is an unwavering, timeless infatuation that fiction lovers have with Vampires. They are some of the most popular characters in movies and fiction. The public seems to never grow weary of them. Afflicted helps to add to the genre with a different approach. Fans of the character will surely enjoy this more than those who aren’t. It’s surely not a classic but it does offer a good level of entertainment with its very unique perspective on the characters. While this film could have been better, it is surely more than enough to offset a boring night.

 

 

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