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You wouldn’t be wrong to call SUITABLE FLESH a spiritual successor to 1985’s Re-Animator. In fact it’s opening shot practically brings you right back to the Stuart Gordon classic (security guard and all) but while the late great Gordon was a master filmmaker one of the most exciting parts of FLESH is to see director Joe Lynch (impressive all on his own) leave a distinct voice. A voice so precise that you can feel a new cult classic being brought to your eyes as each scenes peels back. Here is a film that not only knows its audience it wants to invite newcomers and have them experience what could very well be their first body horror. One that will evoke as many laughs as it does gasps. SUITABLE FLESH is a gnarly good time that doesn’t want to get under your skin, no it wants to stay in your body forever.

If you open your film with a shot of the queen of horror Barbara Crampton you better have a great set up. FLESH doesn’t hold back from it both humorous and bizarre atmosphere. Crampton plays Doctor Daniella Upton who splits her time between sneaking a hit of her cigarette pen and visiting a former colleague in a psyche ward. Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham) once a renowned psychiatrist (she basically wrote the book out of body disorders) is now convicted of a brutal murder. What that exactly involves will be retold through flashbacks that invoke almost staring into a crystal ball to see the past. You see SUITABLE FLESH is an adaptation of H.P. Lovercraft’s short story “The Thing on the Doorstep” but here screenwriter Dennis Paoli thankfully takes the controversial writer’s work and flips it on its head. Reminding us in a playful but correct manner that not only is the “future female” it is incredibly non objective. FLESH is an ode to body horror, queer identity and full autonomy. This begins when Dr. Derby is visited by an unusual young man named Asa Waite (a glorious Judah Lewis) who claims someone (or yes something) is taking over his body and mind. Multiple personality disorder is the easy prognosis especially since Asa shows all the signs of a troubled home life that could lead to it. But you don’t know your movie SUITABLE FLESH to be a medical examination film. No Asa quickly shows Derby what he is referring to when she quickly realizes she can’t resist her out of nowhere urges to the man. Ignoring the fact she has a devoted husband (Johnathon Schaech playing a perfect himbo) Derby falls for Asa’s aggressively seductive ways FLESH to put it lightly is a horny film. To the kid in front of me at its Tribeca premiere watching it with his parents I don’t envy you. Hell watching it with a full audience of strangers felt dirty enough. It’s not to say the film is perverted or grotesque, no it’s a throwback to when you’d sneak a vhs downstairs late at night and be amazed and often scared of the images you saw for the first time. In today’s world its more explicit scenes are both exciting and proof that body horror as horny as it may get is still terrifying. The notion of giving one’s self to an unknown entity yea not the safest of choices.

From there SUITABLE FLESH has a lot up it’s sleeve that this critic wouldn’t dare to spoil. However as Dr. Derby comes to a better understanding of what she is fighting the film rightfully so ignores the bigotry of Lovecraft and instead chooses female autonomy. Graham as Derby is having the most fun on screen. Bouncing around from person to person, getting to embody both man, woman, old and young. It is a role that makes you remember that this is an actor that has always allowed herself to be vulnerable to the story. An actress who chooses to just go for it leaving all mockery at the door and embracing its absurdity. The more Derby discovers the more she loses and Graham balances both the winning role of the entity and the losing role of Derby with great balance. If the Chainsaw awards need a front runner for their next show look no further. But you can’t talk about one lead without mentioning the other. A what a new force he is. Judah Lewis best known for the Netflix horror hits “The Babysitter” and “The Babysitter: Killer Queen” brings such a brave and boldness to the role. It is a role that calls for difficult and uncomfortable moments especially when going up against veteran performers. The trifecta of Lynch’s directing mixed with Lewis and Graham allows for the more intimate scenes and to feel natural even given the circumstances. It can be played for laughs at time but it never belittles the idea that there are two opposing forces constantly at battle.

SUITABLE FLESH knows its audience and yes will play great for midnight crowds to come. But it is also evidence that rewrites and reimagining should always be an option. As Derby loses her identity and gender plays into hand there is no denying the queer unsubtle subtext. But nor should it be subtle. When adapting a story from someone who would have been against its values there is all the more reason to say fuck it and go for the gusto. Here is a movie that isn’t afraid but is sure excited to leave you squirming by the end of its bloody practically non ending finale. Because after all if there is one thing that will stay with us forever it’s our flesh. Whether that’s suitable enough is up to you to decide.

A-

SUITABLE FLESH premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. It will be distributed by Shudder