In 2020 the horror world lost Stuart Gordon, the ingenious mind behind cult classics Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dolls and Castle Freak. Though gone, the late director has not been forgotten, and Joe Lynch’s latest project, Suitable Flesh, has been dedicated to him.
Following in a long-standing Stuart Gordon tradition, Suitable Flesh is based upon a story by author H.P Lovecraft, The Thing on the Doorstep. Lovecraft’s story recounts the bond of close friends Daniel Upton and Edward Derby whose lives are forever changed after one of them falls in with a crowd of Occultists. Rather than adapt the story verbatim, writer Dennis Paoli continues the tradition he began with Re-Animator’s script: keep the essence of Lovecraft’s nightmarish tale, but modernise it and make it relevant to the audience of today.
In this iteration of The Thing on the Doorstep, Edward and Daniel have become Elizabeth (Heather Graham) and Daniella (Barbara Crampton). Though there are more changes than a simple tropey gender switch; Elizabeth and Daniella are far more than just Edward and Daniel transposed to female bodies. With the gender change comes a new approach for the story. Paoli injects feminine anxieties and worries, their inclusion complicating and enriching the narrative. Lynch continues to tug at this strand, and through the character of Elizabeth, tells a compelling story of a woman in crisis. The issues that Elizabeth is experiencing are far more complex than the standard woman on edge or hysterical female.
When first introduced, Elizabeth is being held within a psych ward, but then the narrative is quickly switched to show her prior to incarceration. Suitable Flesh follows the format of The Thing on the Doorstep by having Elizabeth’s tale recounted to the audience. However, rather than being told by her friend as in Lovecraft’s literature, here it is Elizabeth telling her own story. The Elizabeth of ‘before’ is a highly skilled and renowned psychologist. She has a high power job, a beautiful house, and a loving husband, but there remains an itch that she cannot scratch. Although presented as serene, Elizabeth’s life does have static and that little flicker of despair is enough to begin her undoing.
Elizabeth’s unravelling comes after meeting new patient Asa Waite (Judah Lewis). The young, handsome student is suffering paranoid delusions and Elizabeth is immediately compelled to help him. Her desires are not entirely admirable as there is something about Asa that awakens certain urges. As she becomes further drawn to him she realises that his delusion might be far more sinister in origin than the human mind can fathom.
Suitable Flesh is a classic Lovecraftian story of the occult, body horror, and the cosmos, but one which is distilled through the erotic thrillers of the eighties and nineties. These films were a dime a dozen back then, but thanks to the movement to purify cinema of sexual intimacy they have not been seen for a while. Lynch handles the topic beautifully, fully engaging a female gaze for the more carnal moments, ensuring they are satisfyingly sensual.
One of the most electrifying elements of Suitable Flesh are the performances. Not only does each cast member have to portray their own character, but most have to inhabit the persona of others. The plot follows an ancient entity with a penchant for body hopping and so not every character remains within their own body and mind. The work that the core cast have done to nail not only their own character traits, but that of those around them, perfectly conveys the transference of the entity from vessel to vessel. Heather Graham is remarkable as Elizabeth, Paoli’s material and Lynch’s direction enabling her to be more than just a pretty face. She shines as Elizabeth and it remains refreshing to see a story within the genre-sphere focus so closely on a woman of an older age.
A long-term collaborator of Stuart Gordon’s, Barbara Crampton’s inclusion provides vital connecting tissue. Crampton plays her part as confidant and friend to Elizabeth with usual dedication and flair. She is not however the only person from Gordon’s past, Suitable Flesh is peppered with familiar faces from his work, both on and off screen. Each gives their absolute all as they commit to (and succeed) at making a movie of which he would be proud. Amidst a sea of fantastic performances sits Judah Lewis. Though the youngest, and newest in his career, Lewis does exceptional work as the complicated Asa Waite. His performance is at once both sinister and seductive. Asa is equally a devilish threat and delicious treat, Lewis playing the warring personalities within with an effortless grace that thrills and chills in equal measures.
In Suitable Flesh Joe Lynch has found the perfect way to honour an icon’s memory whilst still leaving space for his own voice. There are loving nods to Gordon’s work, from cast to locations, to cheesy scene transitions, but this is still Lynch’s voice behind the camera. His work to bring sensuality back to the screen is sure to delight audiences and his choice to embrace the journey of a slightly older female protagonist will open his work up to a whole new audience. Full of sex, sensuality, feminine desires, dangerous fantasies, and much more, Suitable Flesh is the genre film that fans have been screaming out for.
Suitable Flesh was reviewed at TriBeCa Film Festival 2023. Suitable Flesh will next screen at Fantasia International Film Festival. Suitable Flesh is out in UK cinemas now.
Suitable Flesh
Summary
A beautifully realised homage,Suitable Flesh has all the ingredients of classic Gordon and Lovecraft with a healthy injection of Lynch’s fresh ideas.
