The work of historic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft has been adapted into film since the 1960s, and has inspired countless horror movie fan favorites, including Cabin in the Woods, In the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon, and John Carpenter’s The Thing.
Some of Lovecraft’s most famous film adaptations came at the hands of the great Stuart Gordon and Dennis Paoli, the director and screenwriter of ‘80s and ‘90s gems like Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Castle Freak. With the unfortunate passing of Gordon in 2020, the torch has been passed to modern horror director Joe Lynch, who is most known for his direction of the Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving-led Mayhem, and some of the stronger episodes of Shudder’s CREEPSHOW.
Lynch has teamed up with Paoli to release Suitable Flesh, a new film based on Lovecraft’s 1937 short story, The Thing on the Doorstep. The film is distributed by RLJE Films (Heathers, Mandy), and stars Heather Graham (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) in the lead role, accompanied by Judah Lewis (The Babysitter), Bruce Davison (X-Men), and of course, Barbara Crampton, who previously appeared in Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Castle Freak.
Suitable Flesh follows the story of Dr. Elizabeth Derby, a psychiatrist who has been apprehended by the law, after getting too involved with one of her patients (Lewis), who seems to be suffering from some kind of personality disorder. After investigating the situation further, she finds that her patient is actually possessed by an evil presence that can swap bodies seemingly at will after physical contact, including with Dr. Derby.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Heather Graham in a lead role, and Suitable Flesh was a nice reminder that she’s capable of carrying a movie. Graham took the reins of the main character, unsurprisingly written as a man in the original story, and did a fantastic job switching between the personalities that inhabited her.
It’s difficult enough for an actor to focus on one type of character within one movie shoot, let alone having to bounce back and forth between several. Graham was fun, engaging, seductive, and sinister.
Barbara Crampton’s role as Daniella, the close friend and colleague of Dr. Derby, was a fun addition, and the two had great chemistry throughout the film, especially in the third act. At this point, Crampton and Lovecraft’s stories go together like wine and cheese, so even with her character not having much depth or exploration, it was still a treat to have her involved.
Related: Interview: Barbara Crampton Talks Goop & Gore, ‘Alone with You’, and ‘Back 4 Blood’
One of the most interesting and unexpected parts of Suitable Flesh was its style. I went into it fully expecting a more modern style, Lovecraft-inspired film, like The Color Out of Space or The Void, but the film very much tries to capture the VHS or made-for-TV feel of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
This movie feels like a Stuart Gordon movie, and while I never really felt like this film got to the goopy, grotesque, or gory level that Gordon’s films went to, it certainly nailed the cheesy, intentionally dated style. I think that mostly works for those familiar with Gordon’s work, and this style in general, though it feels a little inorganic and forced. However, for younger audiences, or those who are bigger fans of more modern, bigger-budget films, this may be somewhat of a miss.
Lovecraft horror adaptations tend to have a good blend of spicy content and the horrific, and while Suitable Flesh has a great amount of the former, it’s a bit lacking in the latter. Of course, the concept of not being in control of your own body is terrifying, and it’s always been difficult to project that on screen.
Related: ‘Dredge’ Game Review: A Near-Perfect Lovecraftian Horror Game
It can be an extremely thin line between something as scary as The Exorcist or Hereditary, to something as comedic as Freaky or Child’s Play. A lot of times, the crossover can feel completely unintentional, and as Lynch sort of replicates Gordon’s style, you can’t really count on one genre or another.
All that said, the story was a wild ride and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. It’s one of those stories where no one is inherently safe, so getting attached to characters, even the main one, is a risky move. This is a typical move from screenwriter Dennis Paoli, and one thing that helps keep the often-aged feeling of Lovecraft’s stories more interesting.
While I think Suitable Flesh is well worth the initial watch, has some memorable and fun performances, and brings the nostalgic feeling of some of those older Stuart Gordon Lovecraft movies, I don’t think it has the lasting value that other, similar Lovecraft films have, and feels more like a one-off watch. I love Lynch’s work, and I recommend giving this a watch, but I wasn’t blown away by it.
Suitable Flesh is available in select theaters and available to rent on VOD services on October 27th, 2023. Check out the Red Band trailer here!
We’re hardworking geeks who love to geek out, but we can’t do it without you! If you enjoyed this article and want to see more like it, please consider tipping our writers. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
