It’s pure delight when body horror films have an impactful story within them. Much like The Substance, Grafted tackles beauty standards, but from the perspective of an Asian girl.
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Instead of exploring the entertainment business, this film explores the ways in which xenophobia and a desire to fit in tends to impact people of color. Grafted follows Wei (Joyena Sun), a young Chinese girl, with a genetic birthmark, who travels to New Zealand for a medical research scholarship. Instead of being embraced by her cousin and her friends, Wei finds herself at odds with them.
But when she begins to perfect her father’s skin grafting research, she finds herself going down an unhinged path. The body horror in Grafted doesn’t hold back, and it aims to gross viewers out in the best kind of way. Rather than be another addition to Hollywood-centric body horror, Grafted does its own thing.
The authentic exploration of xenophobia against immigrants of color, assimilation, and Eurocentric beauty standards is done so well in Grafted. Wei’s cousin, Angela (Jess Hong) rejects her Chinese heritage and tries to fit in with her non-Asian friends, more in particular trying to mostly appeal to her xenophobic/racist white friend, Eve (Eden Hart). And before the sharp left turn, Angela tries to make Wei feel bad for not abandoning their culture. Their friction-filled relationship goes to show the insidious nature of internalized shame and how it can manifest when someone is living unapologetically.
Without spoiling the turn of events that go to bonkersville, Wei trusting one of the university professors goes tremendously wrong. Much like real-life, her professor tries to take credit for hers and her father’s research. Leading Wei to take matters into her own hands and take out whoever she deems to be a threat to her. And those are some of the goriest moments in Grafted, when Wei lets go and stops trying to be nice.
Not a film you can compare
Comparing Grafted to The Substance does the film a disservice, especially when the stories are different. The diverse point of view is a huge part of what separates both films, and Grafted goes above surface level with its themes. Everything is handled with care, and that’s certainly due to the director and writers. Grafted is purposefully uncomfortable in tone and succeeds in not only delivering body horror and anxiety inducing moments.
The main cast does a terrific job in their respective roles and Joyena Sun is a revelation as this is her first feature film role. Without a strong lead, a film like Grafted wouldn’t hit a home run. Thankfully, Joyena Sun’s performance goes from soft-spoken to deliciously unhinged. Wei is a sympathetic lead, and Joyena Sun plays her with confidence. Especially during the bloody scenes that’ll leave your mouth agape.
Grafted‘s third act is perfectly chaotic, and there’s no cookie cutter happy ending. Is that the point of the film? That’s for people to decide for themselves, but a story like this with mad scientist trajectory almost never end well. Look at Re-Animator (1985) or a recent entry like The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023), neither of them have happy endings either. And much like those films, the leads end up in extraordinarily hot water due to their decision-making.
As someone who loves gore, body horror, and seeing films go to those gnarly places visually, Grafted is very satisfying. The social commentary, having a woman of color be the lead, and the stellar performances make for a great viewing experience. It’s worth carving time out of your day with some snacks and a comfortable blanket.
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