Grafted

It gets gross, but to what end?... I don't know if the young woman at the center of it is all that well drawn.

Sasha Rainbow's debut feature is a queasy launch for the up and coming filmmaker.

It takes a cartoonish pop-art approach to its material, which deals with feminine competition and beauty standards&#59; as a result, it also has the subtlety of a baseball bat, or perhaps a hot curling iron.

Some subtext would have been nice, but skin-deep does the job, too.

Grafted’s biggest problem is that it loses all momentum once the face-swapping kicks into motion.

The film may not always find a way to bridge its genre thrills with its themes, but its heart is in the right place, reminding us that when we put on too many masks in the service of pleasing others, we begin to forget the texture of our own faces.

A common place but effective narrative impetus blending beauty standards, identity issues and body horror, Grafted quickly reveals itself to be a rather rushed, inconsequential exploration of themes done better countless times before.

As a result of being neither truly bloodthirsty nor truly messagey, it may struggle to satisfy some audiences. However, there’s lots to like here.

Grafted is disgusting, graphic and garish.


“Grafted” is a stylish, textured mad scientist film that falters as it runs out of ideas approaching the denouement. The first half was too strong to sustain the momentum or find a resolution that resonates as much as the story does in the beginning.