Wei, as a child, observed her father, a dedicated scientist, laboring relentlessly to create a skin graft formula aimed at curing their shared rash-like facial deformity. Tragically, she also witnessed the experiment's catastrophic failure, as the living tissue he engineered spread across his face, leading to his suffocation, even as she desperately attempted to save him with a scalpel. Now a college student committed to advancing her father's research, Wei is en route to New Zealand to pursue her studies on a science scholarship. Her mother is eager to remove her from China, where her appearance has led others to label her as “a monster.” Living with her materialistic aunt and socialite cousin Angela, Wei struggles to forge friendships. Angela and her gossiping friends ostracize her for her looks and for her unfamiliar cultural cuisine, which they deem unappealing. When not battling her dwindling self-esteem, Wei dedicates her time in a laboratory, where her biochemistry professor exhibits an unsettling interest in her project. After discovering the crucial element missing from her father's formula, Wei believes she has found a solution to her appearance. However, her ambitions extend beyond mere self-improvement; she embarks on a path that leads her to assume the identities of others, resulting in a series of gruesome acts as she seeks to be recognized as the beauty she has always desired. Whether the film embraces this narrative or not, and it likely does not, director Sasha Rainbow’s “Grafted” draws clear parallels to Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance.” Both films explore the lives of individuals obsessed with their appearances, adopting alternate personas that are more socially acceptable. They both offer biting social commentary on the obsession with image, particularly regarding its impact on women. While “Grafted” addresses these themes to a lesser degree, both narratives are presented as chilling fairy tales rather than stark reflections of reality.
The film "Grafted," available on Afdah TV, centered on the theme of appearances, strategically employs visual cues to convey character identities and motivations with minimal dialogue. This approach inadvertently reveals the trajectory of the plot through the visual representation of its characters. Consider the character of Paul, Wei's professor. From his initial introduction, characterized by his slick hair, tailored suit, and strong jawline, he exudes an air of sophistication that suggests he is far from an ordinary academic. Even prior to witnessing his frustration over the loss of funding for his research, his furrowed brow, sly smirk, and assertive grip on Wei's notebook clearly indicate his intention to appropriate Wei's work. It is no surprise to discover that Paul is engaged in a secret affair with Eve, Angela's attractive friend, who is not pleased with any competition for Paul's attention. Eve's tightly tied blonde ponytail, pink-collared midriff-baring sweater, and often crossed arms project an image of someone who is prissy, sulky, and affluent. This deliberate styling of characters aligns with "Grafted's" overarching theme, serving as a fable-like commentary on the struggles of seeking acceptance through deception. Amid the peculiarities of this unusual world, which occasionally veer into overly comedic territory—such as the antics of a meddlesome neighbor—Wei inadvertently triggers a chaotic sequence of events, culminating in a metaphorical avalanche of body parts, reminiscent of the works of William Gaines and Al Feldstein. Throughout this narrative, actors convincingly portray dual roles, effectively embodying Wei's awkward mimicry of them. The performances often overshadow the instances of body horror, which are less frequent than anticipated and not always as viscerally disturbing as one might expect, failing to fully capture the characters' inherent repulsions.
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