‘Appendage’ review: Dir. Anna Zlokovic [SXSW]

For writer and director Anna Zlokovic’s feature debut, she has extended and adapted her 2021 short film Appendage. The short formed part of Bite Size Halloween’s second season, starred Rachel Sennott alongside Eric Roberts, and told the horrific story of a stressed-out fashion designer, who births a strange sentient growth from her body.

Appendage was a wild and wacky short, and it is that energy that Zlokovic continues with the feature. All of the story from the first whirl in the world remains, helping form much of the first quarter of the feature. Character names have changed, as have those playing them, but the essence remains. Now in possession of a feature-length amount of time, Zlokovic is able to explain and explore the mechanics and lore behind the appendage, its truth leading to even more moments of gross-out insanity. Appendage is the text-book definition of wild-ride, and yet Zlokovic manages to keep the wheels on track, presenting a brilliant meditation on anxiety and self-worth.

This time, Appendage follows Hannah (Hadley Robinson), an aspiring designer who is juggling the stress of a simultaneously overbearing and uninterested mother, as well as a diva-level boss. Hannah is also six months into a relationship with her boyfriend Kaelin (Brandon Mychal Smith), but is still finding it hard to connect with him. The only person keeping Hannah on track is her best friend, and fellow designer, Esther (Kausar Mohammed). These two women share a beautiful connection, and it is Esther’s positivity that helps Hannah get through the day. Hannah is a bundle of anxiety, linked to events in her past, and she lacks self-confidence. She is timid and delicate, perfect fodder for the cruelty that lies just under her skin. 

Anyone who has watched the short will be waiting for the big ‘birth’ scene and though Zlokovic takes time to set up Hannah’s emotional state, she gets to that scene early doors. After a particularly long day and hurt by the cruel words of her boss, Hannah begins an intense downward spiral, which presents the appendage the perfect opportunity to ‘arrive’. Disgusted, Hannah quickly severs ties with the creature, hacking it off, and it is here on that the plot gets good. 

Now into new territory, Zlokovic builds the type of story that both David Cronenberg and Frank Henenlotter would be proud of. Zlokovic delves into the concept of the vanished twins and creates a support group of similarly afflicted people for Hannah to interact with. Upon meeting the group, Appendage gets interesting and it begins to feel like a really, really good lost episode of The Twilight Zone. Hannah is given a strict set of rules and drugs to keep her appendage at bay, but these only serve to cause more problems, eventually leading to a fantastically wicked final act. 

The work on the appendage itself is suitably icky. Its design is a clear homage to Basket Case and is hard to turn away from. Most importantly, the appendage serves a purpose beyond looking unsavoury. Whenever it speaks, it spews forth a tirade of insults at Hannah. It tells her that Kaelin and Esther are having an affair, that her parents hate her, that she is a terrible designer; anything to make her feel bad about herself. The appendage is the physical manifestation of that nasty inner voice that flares up within us all from time-to-time. If Hannah wants to get rid of the appendage, she needs to realise her own value, a valid message for the audience too. 

Hadley Robinson plays the perfect Hannah. Whilst the plot might be straight out of a Cronenberg fever dream, Hannah herself shares more in common with Haley Bennett’s Hunter from 2019’s Swallow. Like Hunter, Hannah has a tic. She doesn’t eat household objects, but she does do some gnarly things with her fingernails. It’s a subtle hint that she is not coping, but one that Zlokovic makes grander by amplifying the sound of Hannah flicking her nails. Hannah’s journey requires Robison to be in several different modes – anxious, angry, afraid, hysterical – and she conveys them all immaculately. It is during the final act that the actor gets to cut loose and embrace the strange, giving a fantastic dual performance. 

The supporting players don’t get too much of a chance to shine, but the Appendage is configured to be all about Hannah. There are, though, some touching moments between Robinson and Mohammed, which for once demonstrate the true power of a strong female friendship. It is their bond that helps Hannah rather than that with love interest Kaelin. It’s a small touch, but a special one. 

An excellent extension of the concept teased in the short, Appendage is unafraid to get weird. Zlokovic will definitely draw attention thanks to the wacky creature design and oddball narrative. The recognition is more than deserved as balancing a character study about anxiety with Basket Case like bizarre creatures is no small task. There are woefully few films with narratives as heightened as Appendage that are told from a female perspective, and Zlokovic demonstrates that they can, and do, work. Wonderfully absurd and lovingly presented, Appendage marks a beautiful union between psychological thriller, goofball black comedy, and body horror. 

Appendage was reviewed at SXSW 2023.