Grafted (2025) Spoiler Free Review
Beauty is only skin deep. Grafted is a 2025 New Zealand body horror film directed by Sasha Rainbow and co wroted by Rainbow, Lee Murray, and Mia Maramara. The film premiered at the The New Zealand International Film Festival on August 8, 2024 and arrived to the streaming platform Shudder on January 24, 2025.
An ambitious yet socially inexperienced exchange student strives to elevate her status in pursuit of popularity.
Film synopsis
The cast includes Joyena Sun as Wei, Eden Hart as Eve, Jess Hong as Angela, Sepi To’a as Jasmine, Jared Turner as Paul, Xiao Hu as Aunthy Ling, and Mark Mitchinson as John.
The new body horror film Grafted that premiered on Shudder on January 24, 2025, offers a unique premise with mixed results. The film follows a young Chinese woman called Wei who relocates with her aunt from China to New Zealand after receiving a university scholarship, where her cousin also studies. Driven by a personal connection to her late father’s scientific research on regenerative skin tissue—both she and her father shared a noticeable birthmark—she seeks a cure to futfill her desire of feeling beautiful. His own experiments, tragically, led to his death, fueling her determination.
As she delves into her father’s work, she achieves a breakthrough, but the consequences of her success are severe, impacting both her and her family. While the core concept is intriguing, Grafted struggles with pacing, often failing to maintain a consistently engaging rhythm. This unevenness unfortunately diminishes the intended scary atmosphere, preventing the film from fully reaching its horror potential.
Whe it comes to the technical aspects, Grafted improves. The practical effects are a definite highlight, showcasing the gruesome transformations with impressive detail. The acting performances are decent, providing a solid foundation for the narrative, and the soundtrack complements the film’s tone. Ultimately, Grafted delivers a fun, albeit flawed, viewing experience. Its themes of bodily transformation and self-esteem invite comparisons to the Oscar-nominated body horror film “The Substance” though it doesn’t quite reach the same level of impactful storytelling. Despite its shortcomings, fans of body horror may find enough to appreciate in its premise and practical effects.