the afflicted movie review

The Afflicted: Is the 2011 Movie Based on Real Horror Events?

‘The Afflicted’ is a horror thriller film that revolves around Maggie, a single mother who constantly abuses her four children after the death of their father. In her bid to control them, Maggie keeps the children isolated from the rest of society and does everything she can to make them believe that what is happening to them is normal and in line with religious beliefs and practices.

Directed by Jason Stoddard, the 2011 film features Leslie Easterbrook, Kane Hodder, Cody Allen, Michele Grey Hartsoe, Sims Holland, and Randi Jones in the leading roles. The abuse the children face at the hands of their mother is too brutal and realistic, and the unease it creates is enough for anybody not to wonder whether it’s linked to a real-life incident. Worry not, for we have the answers for you!

The Afflicted Echoes a True Horror Story

Yes, ‘The Afflicted’ is inspired by a true story. Penned by director James Stoddard himself, the film is based on the crimes of Theresa Knorr , who murdered her husband in 1964, two of her children in the 1980s, and tortured the rest. All of this has been chronicled in the 1995 book ‘Mother’s Day’ by Dennis McDougal. Though the film’s premise is based on real-life crimes committed by one woman, it is in no way a biographical account. In fact, the film hardly stays true to the original story except for its basic structure.

The first and foremost change that has been made in the film is the character names. None of the character names match those of their real-life counterparts. Another important aspect that is different in the film is that Maggie is shown having four children, while in fact, Theresa Knorr had six. ‘The Afflicted’ does, however, recreate the crimes that Theresa Knorr committed against and using her children with startling accuracy, albeit in a condensed timeline.

Other facets of the true story that are presented differently in the film include the murder of Maggie’s husband at her own hands and the aftermath, as well as the violent conclusion of ‘The Afflicted’ that will certainly leave the audience shocked. The film is carried forward in part by Leslie Easterbrook, who plays a very convincing deranged Maggie. The way she goes from screaming at her children to a conspiratorial whisper like they are all in on some grand plan is extremely chilling.

Leslie opened up about the character of Maggie in a behind-the-scenes video, saying, “I played such a dark character and the thing I like the best about the character is that she’s complicated. I mean, she probably does love her children and she was quite a good mother at one time; maybe not the most stable but I got to do it like a crazy woman!” At its core, ‘The Afflicted’ is a harrowing account of abuse and does not pretend to be anything other than that.

Loosely based on a true story, it is not meant for anybody’s entertainment but acts as a warning and a reminder instead — a warning to society at large that even though it might not take place in front of them, domestic abuse whether between partners or directed towards children is a very real and prevailing issue. And it is a reminder to believe the victims of abuse , despite their age or gender; something that did not happen in ‘The Afflicted’ or in the real-life case of Theresa Knorr and her many atrocities towards her children.

Read More: Where is Theresa Knorr Now?

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Film Review: ‘Afflicted’

A nifty found-footage thriller that marks a promising debut for writing-directing duo Clif Prowse and Derek Lee.

By Justin Chang

Justin Chang

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The overexposed found-footage gimmick is applied to the rather more durable vampire genre in “Afflicted,” a low-budget horror-thriller that’s resourceful enough to wring a few fresh chills from a slender premise and a less-than-novel formal conceit. Starring as two camera-wielding Canadian buddies whose trip around the world takes a most unwelcome supernatural turn, Clif Prowse and Derek Lee make a promising feature writing-directing debut with this fun and moderately freaky genre exercise, which proves weaker in the closing stretch than in its gradually unsettling buildup, but easily sustains attention until the end of its tight 85-minute running time. Likely to bite off its fair share of the homevid market following a limited theatrical run through CBS Films, this festival-lauded item augurs well for Prowse’s and Lee’s future projects.

Named after the filmmakers playing them, longtime best friends Clif (Prowse) and Derek (Lee) decide to travel the world for a year — a globe-trotting adventure that Clif, a documentary filmmaker, plans to render as interactive and dynamic as possible by filming much of it and uploading their footage to a blog. The exhilarating “let’s do this!” tenor of the opening scenes is tempered slightly by the revelation that Derek has a brain aneurysm that could rupture at any moment, casting a faintly grim pall over an otherwise carefree transcontinental romp. Derek’s family is understandably concerned about his traveling given his condition, but he’s determined not to let it keep him from his once-in-a-lifetime adventure, even (or especially) if it turns out to be a last hurrah.

It does and it doesn’t. After a few nights’ revelry in Barcelona and Paris, Prowse and Lee orchestrate a nicely chilling tonal shift in which a seemingly innocuous one-night stand with a French babe (Baya Rehaz) leaves Derek unconscious and bloodied. Although he comes to soon enough, he’s never quite himself after that: Moody and out of sorts, prone to taking long naps, and experiencing a decidedly violent change of appetite, he refuses to see a doctor despite the urgings of an increasingly concerned Clif. What follows suggests a cross between “An American Werewolf in London” and the ingenious 2012 found-footage thriller “Chronicle,” and there is no shortage of wicked, stinging moments as Clif and Derek’s attempts to resume their vacation plans go horrifically awry. But there also turn out to be unexpected advantages to Derek’s condition, as he develops superhuman strength, agility and speed, as well as a Spider-Man-like ability to clamber up the sides of buildings.

Indeed, much of the pleasure of “Afflicted” comes from the Spidey-like sight of Derek adjusting to, and gradually mastering, his newfound abilities. In one of the story’s shrewder strokes, this metamorphosis unfolds mainly against the gorgeous, sparsely populated villages of Liguria, on Italy’s northwestern coast — a suitably scenic and secluded backdrop that triggers, among other things, Derek’s sudden aversion to sunlight, while the cobblestoned streets and shuttered windows allow for a few cleverly executed parkour-style stunts. The digital effects are well woven into the film’s deliberately cheap-looking, handheld-video aesthetic (well served by Norm Li’s lensing and Gregory Ng’s editing), and if anything, the economical nature of the enterprise has the effect of rendering its minor stunts all the more impressive: An unbroken handheld take from the p.o.v. of Derek, jumping out a window into the street below, induces a genuine how’d-they-do-that curiosity.

Fortunately, the filmmakers have applied themselves to developing the scenario emotionally as well as physically. Prowse affectingly conveys not only Clif’s increasing fear and concern, but also a true friend’s willingness to help satiate Derek’s growing bloodlust, while Lee, in addition to giving himself over to all manner of violent bodily convulsions (with a key assist from makeup designer Tamar Ouziel), provides a crucial sense of a decent guy trying to resist his worst impulses. But he’s less convincing when required to give an occasional direct-address monologue explaining why the cameras are still rolling, and it’s here that “Afflicted,” like so many films that shackle themselves to mock-doc conceits, begins to falter. Once Derek comes fully into his powers, capable of being temporarily wounded but more or less invincible, the tension and uncertainty of the film’s first half give way to a string of gory setpieces that bring the tale to a neat if not entirely surprising resolution.

Reviewed online, Pasadena, April 2, 2014. (In 2013 Toronto Film Festival; 2013 Fantastic Fest.) Running time: 85 MIN.

• Production: (Canada-U.S.) A CBS Films (in U.S.) release of an Entertainment One, IM Global and Automatik presentation of an Oddfellows Entertainment production, in association with Magali Film and Panorama Films, with the participation of Telefilm Canada. Produced by Chris Ferguson, Zach Lipovsky. Executive producers, Jason Dowdeswell, Stuart Ford, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Zak Pashak.
• Crew: Directed, written by Clif Prowse, Derek Lee. Camera (Deluxe color, HD), Norm Li; editor, Gregory Ng; music, Edo Van Breemen; production designer, Courtney Stockstad; costume designer, Stockstad; sound (Dolby Digital), Ng, Jarret Read; sound designer, Eric J. Paul; re-recording mixer, Brody Ratsoy; special effects coordinators, David Barkes, Brant McIlroy; visual effects supervisor, James Rorick; visual effects producer, Adele Venables; visual effects, Image Engine, Encore, Leviathan; makeup designer, Tamar Ouziel; stunt coordinator, Lauro Chartrand; associate producer, Andrew Levine; second unit directors, Trevor Addie, Brian Ho; casting, Kara Eide.
• With: Clif Prowse, Derek Lee, Baya Rehaz, Benjamin Zeitoun, Zach Gray, Edo Van Breemen. (English, French, Italian dialogue)

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Film review: the afflicted (2010).

Corey Danna 05/10/2012 Uncategorized

SYNOPSIS: A story of incomprehensible abuse delivered by an explosively violent mother of four. Journey through the mind of a child that experiences a living hell, defined and defended by the twisted religious beliefs of her mother.

REVIEW: “ The Afflicted ” is an incredibly depressing film. One that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth and feeling a little bit dirty. At the same time, when it was over I just wanted to grab my daughters and hug them. This is a film where the horror that is present is all too real. And even more disturbing is the fact that it happens. It probably happens more than any of us can imagine or would want to. What stands out here more than just the story is the performance of Leslie Easterbrook, she really goes for broke here and nails every moment of it. We have seen her play crazy before (I preferred her performance in “The Devil’s Rejects” to that of Karen Black’s as the same character in “House of 1000 Corpses”), here she just really scared me. I’ve seen many true life crazy mother films, the first being “Mommie Dearest”, but this one really hit me hard. Not quite as hard as Jack Ketchum’s “The Girl Next Door”, though it hit me in a similar fashion. It’s worth watching at least once and Easterbrook deserves some recognition for delivering a truly frightening character.

Maggie (Leslie Easterbrook) is the mother of four children, Cathy (Michele Grey), Carla (Katie Holland), Grace (Randi Jones), and Bill (Cody Allen). It’s Carla’s birthday and everyone seems happy. Except for her husband Hank (Kane Hodder), something is brewing in his mind, he knows that something is wrong with Maggie. Late in the night Hank packs a bag and attempts to leave. Maggie confronts him and things start to come to light. He needs time to figure things out and he now knows that she isn’t all there. Maggie refuses to let him leave and kills him, hiding the body in a freezer out in the shed. The kids are led to believe that their father has packed up and left them.

The Afflicted (2010)

Tags 'The Afflicted Cody Allen Daniel Jones J.D. Hart jason stoddard Kane Hodder Katie Holland Leslie Easterbrook Matthew M. Anderson Michele Grey

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Was anyone else beyond annoyed that the kids didn’t fight back at all ?! Cmon.

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Afflicted Review

*Please note that this review will contain spoilers. If you want to be 100% shocked by Afflicted , please turn away now and watch this breathtaking bit of indie horror gold.

Every once and a while an inventive film comes along that redefines a genre. For me, that movie was Chronicle , a “found footage” superhero movie mixing elements of psychological suspense with astounding camera work and truly gripping storytelling – a welcome curveball amidst so many spandex wearing super-humans. People scoffed at another “found footage” flick, but Josh Trank and Max Landis proved haters wrong.

Question of the day – could the horror genre ever see such an equally mesmerizing affair? Spoiler alert – yes. Enter filmmakers Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, two friends with some pro camera equipment and a hatred for current vampire boredom – fanged saviors fighting the horror good fight.

Following Derek (Lee) and Cliff (Prowse) on a year-long international vacation, the beginning of our film is a little bit of a buddy travel comedy of sorts. We learn that Derek has been diagnosed with a disease that could end his life at any moment, which makes his family skeptical about being abroad for a full year, but Derek instead sees his affliction as a motivator to live life to the fullest. As their trip goes on, Derek starts showing signs of some type of sickness, which Cliff immediately assumes has to do with Derek’s longstanding condition, but newer symptoms start suggesting something different. Getting worse and worse, Cliff begs Derek to seek medical attention, but the friends continue on their journey only on Derek’s insisting – until turning into something sinister.

As a horror fan who watches A LOT of horror, it takes something special to get me excited, yet Afflicted managed to scare AND excite me through our filmmaker’s gritty, hypnotic, and raw interpretation of vampiric lore. Without knowing any plot details, I expected an average, run-of-the-mill body horror film, but being caught so off-guard gave a thrilling jolt of euphoria as I slowly realized we weren’t getting zombies, plagues, or flesh-eating viruses. Prowse and Lee stay extremely simple, yet approach vampire transformations in a fresh, new, and groundbreaking way that makes us forget the years of sparkly, love-struck emo wussies who would have been torn in two by the beasts in Afflicted .

Approaching the “found footage” genre, recent watches like Happy Camp had me down on the format, but consider my support re-kindled once again by beautiful cinematography and clear, crisp pictures. No swirling cameramen trying to give us motion sickness – Afflicted makes brilliant use of dream tech gear and shoots a better movie for it. First person camera angles aren’t used to manipulate audiences into believing they’re terrified, instead pacing like an action movie where Derek continually tests his abilities while Cliff watches with astonishment. Once the true vampire work kicks in, audiences are treated to a horror rollercoaster of sorts as Derek fully transforms and straps one of Cliff’s cameras on – heightening already existent levels of fun as V/H/S/2 did by strapping a Go-Pro to a zombie. Fans swayed by “found footage” exploitation need not avoid this flick simply because of the shooting style – Afflicted is a rare “found footage” treat full of life…and death.

Newcomer Derek Lee carries Afflicted only because he’s the one slowly turning into a vampire – a feral, vicious, grotesquely scary vampire with pulsing veins, dead eyes, and a wicked mean streak that Lee plays to perfection. Contorting his body and creeping about the night, certain camera angles catch Derek in all his horror glory, as Lee commands the screen with a noteworthy performance that brings vampires back into the vicious spotlight such creatures once ruled. Clif Prowse plays well with Derek, but he’s merely a cameraman as Derek throws himself into seizures, lurks in the shadows, and embraces full fight sequences all with the same fervent grace. What a turn by these young horror bucks.

Maybe you’re questioning the visual aesthetics of an indie horror movie, worried limited budgeting would ruin practical effects work? Wrong again, kiddo. Afflicted is full of blood slurping, throat ripping, head bashing, and true vampire grossness that comes along with opening people up like a tasty Capri-Sun. Our actors get elbow deep in a vampire world brave enough to show these monsters for who they are – murderous killers feeding off the living for sustenance. That doesn’t sound like a clean hobby now, does it? Praise be carnivorous practical effects work and spurting gallons of fake blood, oozing every ounce of camera friendly gore possible – so much that the lens has to be wiped every so often.

Afflicted won’t only be one of the best indie horror films of 2014, but there’s no doubt in my mind it’ll go down as one of the best horror movies of 2014. Honestly, Prowse and Lee have created one of the best vampire movies I’ve seen in years, undoing countless Twilight knockoffs that de-fanged such a famous genre. Vamps finally have their bite back, unconventionally saved by a “found footage” subgenre floundering enough by itself. Talk about the balls it takes to reinvent not only one horror subgenre, but two! Kudos my friends, kudos on making a non-stop horror thrill ride for adrenaline junkies and scare lovers to soak in like glorious rays of warm, comforting sunlight – which I happily embrace as I’ve yet to be turned vampiric. Stay thirsty, my friends.

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The afflicted.

2011 Directed by Jason Stoddard

A Mother's love has its limits.

A story of incomprehensible abuse delivered by an explosively violent mother of four. Journey through the mind of a child that experiences a living hell, defined and defended by the twisted religious beliefs of her mother (imdb.com)

Leslie Easterbrook Kane Hodder J.D. Hart Michele Grey Hartsoe

Director Director

Jason Stoddard

Writer Writer

Stunts stunts.

Kane Hodder

Alternative Title

Another American Crime

Horror Thriller

Releases by Date

22 oct 2011, 01 mar 2012, releases by country.

• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical NR

85 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Emma Wolfe ★ 2

Review by Anny ½

I am here afflicted because I purchased the wrong Afflicted movie. Cheers.

Review by Travis Lytle ★½

Shot with all the taste and style of a cut-rate music video, "The Afflicted" is a horror film that tries to offer a meditation on the serious topic of child abuse. It fails.

Over-the-top, exploitative, and clumsily put together, "The Afflicted" focuses on a family that is suffering at the hands of its Bible-spewing, foul-mouthed matriarch. She subjects her children to beatings, prostitution, and all manner of other abuse; and she does so all in the name of God. Though the filmmakers, claim the story is based on actual events, the characters and plot become too outlandish and unrealistic to take seriously.

The film is disturbing and violent, but it provides nothing thoughtful or deep in regard to its subject…

Review by ZaraGwen ★½

Watching two movies about real life child abuse back-to-back may not have been the best idea

Review by Jordy ★ 1

been sleeping like 3 hours a night and watching Tubi garbage in bed with rain sounds it kinda rocks

Review by asterrose ★★★★½

I first heard of Theresa Knorr on ID's Deadly Women and the story turned my stomach. This movie, which is loosely based on the true crime story, went a few steps further, but knowing that the children actually went through some of the things portrayed on screen made me sick. There were questions I had about it (Grace kept talking about all the horror going on, but never got help. Turned out she couldn't. I also couldn't believe that no one else but that pedophile visited the home after the girls were taken out of school.)

If you don't like seeing kids in danger, especially from their own parents (or in this case, mother), don't watch The Afflicted. The ending just might make you cry.

Review by Paul Stevenson ★★½

Tasteless child abuse "in the name of God" torture-porn that's shot well and well acted by a few characters. Feels like a Rob Zombie fan film (with a few familiar faces he uses). Based on a real story but leans into the exploitation too much.

Review by Inigo Roberts ★★★★

lol idk how legal the making of this film was.

Review by The Grim Fucker ½

I paid two bucks to watch this and I still want my money back. Also, not even two minutes into the movie and it's using iMovie stock music that I've literally used before for shitty YouTube videos I made when I wasn't even a teenager yet. The movie claims to be based on true events, and while that is true, it claims that "Everything you see is exactly how it happened" which is bullshit. The movie is only loosely based on the crimes of Theresa Knorr. A big problem I had with this movie was its established of plot elements and character motivation. There is none. Some scenes gave me whiplash because I couldn't understand where someone was or why…

Review by James Grimmer ★★★

I'm not exactly sure what to make of this one, not because I didn't care for it, but because I'm unclear as to what the point is. Don't get me wrong, it is a disturbing portrayal of child abuse and religious fanaticism. I'll give the director props for tackling those, and while they are disturbing, he doesn't incorporate them for the sake of being shocking. If anything, they illustrate that Maggie is too far gone, which in terms of Leslie Easterbrook's performance is convincing. 

As I mentioned, I'm unclear as to what the point is. This is mainly because Maggie doesn't have an endgame, which for an antagonist leaves something to be desired. I don't know if this is because…

Review by thanek ½

Fuck. This. Movie. 

I have never before in my life seen a movie as unpleasant and horrifying as this one. The characters are all pretty flat victim characters that are just there to get tortured in various ways that just ramp up in absurdity and bullshit the more time passes. Like there are several scenes in this movie that I had to skip because of the fact that they just made me uncomfortable throughout. The main antagonist has a committed performance but it doesn’t matter because her actions really fucking sucks and the motivation is just not there(it’s more of an excuse than a motivation). Please skip this one, I think I’d rather watch Billy Madison instead to finally put my hatred of that movie to rest because it’s miles better than this trashfire. This movie didn’t deserve to have Kane Hodder in it either.

Review by Israellawton ★★★★

Easterbrook gives a hell of a performance. In fact the whole family is mesmerizing. This is one of the most difficult films I have ever sat though; it took me days, made me sick, I’m quivering as I write this. One of the most overwhelming expressions of hopelessness and evil I’ve ever found in any medium.

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Film / The Afflicted

Edit locked.

The Afflicted is a 2011 American horror film featuring Kane Hodder .

Maggie is a mentally unstable woman whose husband is about to leave her. After killing him, she descends into utter madness, obsessing over a local televangelist and horrifically tormenting her children. Her abuse is worst at her daughter Carla, whom she regularly tortures and pimps out. Carla commits to escaping, but this tale is doomed to end in tragedy.

This film contains examples of:

• After Maggie kills her husband, she descends into a violent mania, beating her kids, making them work to support her and pimping out her eldest daughter.
• Pastor Jon mentions his father being a drunk who regularly beat him and his mother. Eventually John tried to fight back with a fire poker, but his father nearly killed him with it and abandoned them both.
• Maggie claims her father beat and raped her, but given that she only brings it up when she's trying to convince Kathy that what she's doing isn't abuse, it's unclear if this is actually true.
• Big Bad : Maggie, a religious fanatic tormenting her children.
• Corrupt Church : Pastor Jon Stackwell runs a really small-time version of this with his local TV show, where he puts on a cheesy, zero budget sermon and pleads for money for expenses that don't exist. Despite being relatively easy money, he hates his job. However, he has Hidden Depths , viewing Bill as a son figure and offering to take the fall when Grace kills Maggie after seeing what she did to her .
• Dead Star Walking : Kane Hodder gets top billing, despite only being in the film for a few minutes, during which he is killed via Batter Up! .
• Downer Ending : After Kathy and Carla are killed by the abuse, Maggie pimps Grace out to keep the money flowing. This causes her to snap and shoot Maggie dead, also killing her brother due to mistakenly believing that he enjoyed being forced to beat Carla. Pastor Jon arrives just after this, and tries to convince Grace to let him take the fall for the killings, but she shoots herself instead.
• Force Feeding : Maggie, resenting Kathy due to her own body image issues, forces her to eat disgustingly fatty foods in an attempt to make her fat as well.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse : Maggie claims that her father beat and raped her and that's why she's so cruel, but aside from the ambiguity as to whether or not she's telling the truth, Kathy states that she doesn't care what her excuse is, and the narrative never gives her any sympathy.
• The Fundamentalist : Maggie's an insane Christian who obsesses over a local televangelist and will do anything, including physical abuse, pimping out her daughter, or killing her husband, to keep her family under her thumb.
• After killing her husband for trying to leave her, Maggie descends into religious mania and starts abusing them. Aside from beating them in random rages, Maggie forces her son into manual labour and her eldest daughter into prostitution while Force Feeding her middle daughter in an attempt to make her fat. When said middle daughter resists, Maggie shoots her in the shoulder before fatally poisoning her in an attempt to remove the bullet. After the eldest daughter escapes, Maggie makes her two remaining children beat her bloody before locking her in a closet to starve and pimping out her remaining girl.
• Randy is a Dirty Old Man and the only customer we see Maggie procure in her child prostitution ring. He regularly rapes the daughter, being especially happy that she's a minor. After said daughter dies, Randy gladly goes to the youngest daughter, roughing her up some before raping her. When he finishes, he tells Maggie to beat her for resisting him.
• The Hero Dies : Grace shoots herself after killing Maggie.
• Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday : All the madness starts on Carla's birthday.
• Human Traffickers : Maggie refuses to leave her house, so for money she forces her son to do odd jobs and pimps out one of her daughters.
• Karma Houdini : Randy never gets any punishment for raping Kathy and Grace .
• Kitschy Local Commercial : Pastor Stackwell does the televangelist equivalent of these as the "Cowboy Prophet." Highlights include him doing his sermon in front of a paper-mache set, singing about "old-time religion," and fake-fighting with a dude in a Satan costume who's supposed to be trying to take his Bible away.
• My God, What Have I Done? : In her last moment of humanity, Maggie is shown sobbing into one of Hank's shirts while repeatedly muttering, "Oh, Hank... oh, Hank...
• Offing the Offspring : Maggie shoots Kathy in the shoulder, and eventually decides to remove the bullet herself. She uses a combination of alcohol and prescription drugs as an anesthetic, which causes Kathy to die during the procedure. Later, she locks Carla in a closet for so long that she starves to death.
• Self-Made Orphan : The film ends with Grace snapping and shooting Maggie in the chest.
• The Sociopath : Maggie, a housewife who beats her husband to death when he tries to leave her. After hiding the body, she begins abusing her children, up to and including pimping the eldest daughter out, all while bursting to violence at utter random. She can pretend to be a kindly mother when others are around, manipulating them so that nobody believes the kids about the abuse.
• The Vamp : Maggie has her moments, namely when she seduces Pastor Jon into not looking into an attempt by one of her kids to tell him about her abuse.
• Very Loosely Based on a True Story : Theresa Knorr, a psychotic woman who, after getting away with murdering her husband in 1964, proceeded to start horribly abusing her many children, eventually killing one daughter in 1984, and another in 1985.
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Nick Nolte is a big, shambling, confident male presence in the movies, and it is startling to see his cocksure presence change into fear in Paul Schrader 's "Affliction.'' Nolte plays Wade Whitehouse, the sheriff of a small New Hampshire town, whose uniform, gun and stature do not make up for a deep feeling of worthlessness. He drinks, he smokes pot on the job, he walks with a sad weariness, he is hated by his ex-wife, and his young daughter looks at him as if he's crazy.

When we meet Glen, his father, we understand the source of his defeat. The older man ( James Coburn ) is a cauldron of alcoholic venom, a man whose consolation in life has been to dominate and terrorize his family. There are scenes where both men are on the screen together, and you can sense the sheriff shrinking, as if afraid of a sudden blow. The women in their lives have been an audience for cruelty; of the older man's wife, it is said, "Women like this, it's like they lived their lives with the sound turned off. And then they're gone.'' "Affliction'' is based on a novel by Russell Banks , whose work also inspired "The Sweet Hereafter.'' Both films are set in bleak winter landscapes, and both involve a deep resentment of parental abuse--this one more obviously, since Sheriff Whitehouse's entire unhappy life has been, and still is, controlled by fear of his father. We're reminded of other films Paul Schrader has written ("Taxi Driver,'' "Raging Bull,'' "The Mosquito Coast'') or directed ("Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters,'' "Hardcore''), in which men's violence is churned up by feelings of inadequacy. (He also wrote "The Last Temptation Of Christ,'' in which at least one line applies: "Father, why hast thou forsaken me?'') Wade Whitehouse is a bad husband, a bad father and a bad sheriff. He retains enough qualities to inspire the loyalty, or maybe the sympathy, of a girlfriend named Margie ( Sissy Spacek ), but his ex-wife ( Mary Beth Hurt ) looks at him in deep contempt, and his brother Rolfe ( Willem Dafoe ), the film's narrator, has been wise to clear out of the town and its poisons.

Early in the film, Wade decides to show a little enterprise on the job. A friend of his has gone out as a hunting guide for a rich man, and returned with the man's expensive gun, some bloodstains and a story of an accident. Wade doesn't believe it was an accident, and like a sleepwalker talking himself back to wakefulness, he begins an investigation that stirs up the stagnant town--and even rouses him into a state where he can be reached, for the first time in years, by fresh thoughts about how his life has gone wrong.

Because there are elements of a crime mystery in "Affliction,'' it would be unwise to reveal too much about this side of the plot. It is interrupted, in any event, by another death: Wade and Margie go to the old man's house to find that Wade's mother, Glen's wife, lies dead upstairs and Glen is unable to acknowledge the situation. It is even possible that the sick woman crawled upstairs and was forgotten by a man whose inner eye has long been focused only on his own self-diagnosis: not drunk enough, drunk just right or too drunk? Rolfe returns to town for the funeral and to supply missing elements from the story of their childhood, and the film ends in an explosion that seemed prepared even in the first frame. Its meaning is very clear: Cruelty to a child is not over in a moment or a day, but is like those medical capsules embedded in the flesh, which release their contents for years. Nolte and Coburn are magnificent in this film, which is like an expiation or amends for abusive men. It is revealing to watch them in their scenes together--to see how they're able to use physical presence to sketch the history of a relationship. Schrader says he cast Coburn because he needed an actor who was big enough, and had a "great iconic weight,'' to convincingly dominate Nolte. He found one. Coburn has spent a career largely in shallow entertainments, and here he rises to the occasion with a performance of power.

There is a story about that. "I met with Coburn before the picture began,'' Schrader told me, "and told him how carefully Nolte prepares for a role. I told Coburn that if he walked through the movie, Nolte might let him get away with it for a day, but on the second day all hell would break lose. Coburn said, 'Oh, you mean you want me to really act? I can do that. I haven't often been asked to, but I can.' '' He can.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Affliction (1999)

Rated R For Violence and Language

114 minutes

Mary Beth Hurt as Lillian

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‘the father’: film review | sundance 2020.

Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman play a dementia-afflicted man and his daughter in 'The Father,' Florian Zeller's screen adaptation of his own play.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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The best film about the wages of aging since  Amour  eight years ago,  The Father  takes a bracingly insightful, subtle and nuanced look at encroaching dementia and the toll it takes on those in close proximity to the afflicted. Fronted by a stupendous performance from Anthony Hopkins as a proud Englishman in denial of his condition, this penetrating work marks an outstanding directorial debut by the play’s French author Florian Zeller and looks to be a significant title for Sony Classics domestically later in the year.

First performed in France in 2012, the play has elicited hosannas wherever it has appeared, notably in Paris, where it won the 2014 Moliere Award for best play, in the U.K. from 2014 to 2016, and in New York, where Frank Langella won a Tony Award for his lead performance in 2016. Christopher Hampton did the English adaptation and receives co-screenwriting credit here.

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However, even as Zeller has remained faithful to himself in switching media, he has embellished his work with some keen visual elements that expand upon what was possible onstage and prove both disquieting and meaningful in conveying the experience of dementia. The film thereby deserves to be analyzed as a freshly conceived work in its own right, not just a transfer from one medium to another.

“I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone,” barks Anthony (Hopkins, his name being the same as his character’s) as his daughter Anne ( Olivia Colman ) tries to give him some simple assistance. Anthony lives in a handsome London flat, but she has some disruptive news to announce: She’s about to leave to live in Paris, a prospect that launches the old man into a disbelieving tirade until he switches gears and asks, “What’s going to become of me?”

What’s clear is that Anthony can’t be left on his own. Still sharp in some ways, he nonetheless forgets things and people, although he won’t admit it. Sometimes he speaks softly and coherently enough to make you believe he still knows what’s going on; at other times he’s disoriented or possibly playing little games to make it look like he’s more in control than he really is. He is, in a phrase, in and out.

All the same, everyone knows where things are inevitably headed. Early on, Anne’s presumed husband (Mark Gatiss) turns up to suggest that Anthony’s got to get out because it’s not actually his flat. Not long after, another man, Paul (Rufus Sewell), materializes as Anne’s husband, and it’s not a case of polygamy. When an attractive new nurse/caregiver Laura (Imogen Poots) reports for duty, the old man unleashes such compliments that she can’t help but remark to Anne how charming the old man is. “Not always,” she warns.

In company and for short periods, Anthony can be spry and lucid to the point that newcomers might be convinced that he’s not so badly off. But any prolonged exposure to him removes any question of his capacity to be left to his own devices.

Significantly elevating the film’s insight into the old man’s impaired lucidity is some very understated visual manipulation of the physical surroundings he inhabits. When Anthony at one point can’t find something he’s looking for, he asks if he’s actually in his own flat, and his daughter won’t answer. Viewers who have been watching carefully might notice very slight differences in the décor and layout, suggesting that perhaps he may not be where he thinks he is. 

These modest disruptions are, in fact, vital to the film’s meaning and ultimate impact, as they provide a visual correlative both to Anthony’s increasing uncertainty as to where he actually is, the truthfulness of his daughter and others when they speak with him and, ultimately, to the deterioration of his relationship with reality. Many films have attempted to convey alternative states of mind through many different means — swirling and distorted camerawork, psychedelic special effects, wild montages — but likely never has the invasion of memory loss been conveyed as profoundly as it is in  The Father.

Given the nature of the affliction itself, one knows that things aren’t going to get better, but as Anthony slips away from nearly all contact with reality another figure appears, that of a nurse, Catherine (Olivia Williams). The circumstances could not be more different, but the raging and manipulative old man with female offspring can hardly fail to bring to mind thoughts of  King Lear , if on a much smaller playing field.

This will certainly go down as one of Hopkins’ great screen performances and the younger crew all deport themselves with customary skill and authority. The film will also open the door for Zeller to transition to film directing as much as he might wish.  The Father  is sharp, teasingly diabolical and, most of all, an account of an insidious disease that’s deadly on point.

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)

Opens: 2020

Production: Embankment Films, Trademark Films, F comme Film

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, Olivia Williams, Ayesha Dharker

Director: Florian Zeller

Screenwriters: Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller, based on the play Le pere by Florian Zeller

Producers: Simon Friend, Christophe Spadone, Philippe Carcassonne, Jean-Louis Livi, David Parfitt

Executive producers: Lauren Dark, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek, Hugo Grumbar, Tim Haslam, Paul Grindey, Zygi Kamasa

Director of photography: Ben Smithard

Production designer: Peter Francis

Costume designer: Anna Mary Scott Robbins

Editor: Yorgos Lamprinos

Music: Ludovico Einaudi

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Afflicted Reviews

An entertaining genre film, presenting a handful of scenes to satisfy the gore mongers as well as those seeking a little substance.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 29, 2019

Although "Afflicted" is light on truly frightening moments, it compensates with plenty of personality and chill.

Full Review | Nov 22, 2018

There's no beauty or inspiration in the film's shooting style, and most importantly, no terror. If this is "ingenious" horror filmmaking, as the programme note suggests, get me off this planet.

Full Review | Oct 2, 2017

Despite thinking you may know where the story is headed, it continually subverts expectations and in places it doesn't, there's at least quality entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jun 23, 2016

This isn't the most exhilarating or groundbreaking endeavor of the horror genre, yet its cinematic and visual modus operandi works like a charm.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2016

Rather than letting their budgetary constraints hold back their story, Prowse and Lee let their stunning visuals and compelling story do all the heavy lifting, creating a horror tale that's as scary as it is endearing.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 8, 2016

Afflicted may be slightly more entertaining than most others films of the same type, but it's still unable to hide the fact that it's just as empty as most of them as well.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 30, 2014

When it comes to the ongoing cycle of handheld horror films at the local movie theater, there are far worse choices than a movie like Afflicted.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 13, 2014

Lee and Prowse clearly have filmmaking abilities, but Afflicted doesn't feel complete. It's more of a cinematic sharpening stone than a deeply considered merging of genre and style.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Apr 17, 2014

A mix of "Innocent Blood," and Cronenberg's "The Fly," with a hefty injection of "Chronicle."

Full Review | Apr 4, 2014

There's life yet in the found-footage horror genre.

The best found-footage movie since CHRONICLE. Ambitious, and beautifully shot.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 4, 2014

"Afflicted" is as emotionally involving as a really accomplished special-effects sizzle reel.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 4, 2014

Runs smack into a number of generic clichs, from the back-and-forth bickering about how to deal with the situation to a lazy underlying misogyny.

"Found footage" has become a tired technique, but Lee and Prowse, who also wrote the screenplay, give it new life.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 3, 2014

A nifty found-footage thriller that marks a promising debut for writing-directing duo Clif Prowse and Derek Lee.

Full Review | Apr 3, 2014

Ambitious in scope and practically flawless in execution, Afflicted is good news for horror fans seeking something fresh and chilling from two impressively assured young filmmakers.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 3, 2014

Multiple shots are thrillingly disorienting without straying into incoherence-a tricky line to walk-and it's genuinely hard to tell whether certain effects [...] are practical or computer-generated.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/5 | Apr 3, 2014

...illustrates the full cycle of evolution that the genre has endured since it first creeped us out.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Apr 3, 2014

[Afflicted] evokes the escalating panic of a nightmare far better than the usual cheap horror film.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 3, 2014

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‘Infested’ Review: Bugging Out

An apartment building in Paris is overrun by murderous arachnids and unsubtle allegory in this fleet and efficient debut feature.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

There are no fresh ideas in the French creepy-crawler “Infested,” yet this first feature from Sébastien Vanicek scurries forward with such pep and purpose that its shortcomings are easily forgivable. Add a handful of eager young actors, a sociopolitical slam and a claustrophobic location swarming with venomous spiders and you’ll be hunting for the DEET long before the credits roll.

Set in a low-income housing block in a Paris suburb, the action — and there’s plenty of it — is led by Kaleb (Théo Christine), an industrious youth who sells black-market sneakers and fusses over his illegal collection of small critters. His latest acquisition is a spider that, unbeknown to Kaleb, was smuggled from a Middle Eastern desert after rendering one of its captors agonizingly kaput. In less time than it takes to say “arachnophobia,” it will escape, reproduce like a bandit and send its deadly progeny scampering into every unsealed nook and cranny. Woe betide anyone not wearing a hoodie.

On one level, “Infested” is a well-worn, thoroughly efficient creature feature with sleek effects and pell-mell pacing. While not especially scary, the movie gains traction from a script (by Vanicek and Florent Bernard) that finds ways to add a smidgen of back story to its panicked characters. So as the building becomes a giant, web-draped cocoon, the rapid-fire squabbling among Kaleb, his sister (Lisa Nyarko) and his onetime best friend (Finnegan Oldfield) feels entirely authentic. As do the labyrinthine corridors, the constantly failing lighting (props to Alexandre Jamin’s stuttering photography) and Kaleb’s kindhearted concern for his neighbors.

A police lockdown cues social commentary that, while glaringly obvious, is also apt in a movie whose French title translates as “vermin” and whose gun-and-gas-toting authorities may have their own ideas about the term’s definition.

Infested Not Rated. Running time: 1 hour 46 minutes. Watch on Shudder .

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2024: The Year Religious Horror Took Center Stage

2024 has emerged as a standout year for religious horror films, with titles like Immaculate , Late Night With the Devil , and The First Omen receiving largely positive reviews. These films delve into deep-rooted traditions and beliefs to weave terrifying tales that resonate with audiences and critics alike. This genre, already rich with lore and depth, taps into the universal themes of faith and fear to create compelling narratives.

By Sadie Watkins

The Witch : Colonial Superstitions Meet Modern Fears

The Witch , directed by Robert Eggers, set in 17th-century New England, follows a Puritan family exiled over a religious dispute. Isolated and vulnerable, they face malevolent forces in the surrounding woods. The film is a psychological thriller that intertwines colonial fears with contemporary horror elements. Anya Taylor-Joy’s breakout role as the family’s eldest daughter, Thomasin, alongside the sinister antics of the demonic goat Black Phillip, anchors the film’s haunting atmosphere.

The Omen: A Religious Horror Classic

Richard Donner’s The Omen from 1976 remains a monumental film in the religious horror category. The plot centers around American diplomat Robert Thorn, played by Gregory Peck, who unknowingly adopts the Antichrist — a child named Damien. The horror unfolds as Thorn discovers the true origins of his son, culminating in a narrative rich with suspense and terror. The film’s influence is extensive, spawning remakes, sequels, and a prequel, The First Omen , which explores the sinister conspiracies leading to Damien’s birth.

The Wailing: Mystery and Spiritual Quest

The Wailing , a South Korean film by Na Hong-jin, blends religious themes with thriller elements to explore a mysterious illness that sweeps through a rural village, causing the afflicted to turn violently against their loved ones. The film starts with a biblical quote and evolves into a deep investigation of faith, superstition, and ethics. Director Na Hong-jin crafted this story following personal tragedies, questioning the reasons behind innocent suffering, which adds a profound layer to the narrative.

Frailty: Southern Gothic Biblical Horror

Bill Paxton’s Frailty , released in 2002 , presents a narrative centered around a man convinced he has been divinely tasked to destroy demons masquerading as humans. This sleeper hit combines biblical horror with Southern Gothic elements, exploring themes of divine justice and the terror of an unpredictable deity. The film’s chilling storyline and atmospheric tension offer a unique take on the religious horror genre.

These films showcase the complexity and depth of religious horror, intertwining supernatural frights with serious questions about faith and morality. They entertain while also provoking thought, merging traditional beliefs with modern horror elements to create an intense and unforgettable cinematic experience. 2024 has proven that religious horror remains a potent and evocative genre, capable of drawing both new audiences and seasoned aficionados.

Based on content from www.time.com

• Entertainment

‘Civil War’ review: Alex Garland’s dystopian vision of America horrifies

Movie review.

Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is essentially a horror movie, one in which the horrors feel uncomfortably close to home. In this vision of America, the country is divided into two violent factions: one led by a fascist three-term president (Nick Offerman, in a small but vivid role), the other an armed rebellion against the government. Four journalists — photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst), her reporting partner Joel (Wagner Moura), veteran writer Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and young aspiring photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) — travel across hundreds of miles of this war zone to reach Washington, D.C., in the hopes of getting one last interview with the president. 

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It’s a strange, terrifying journey, punctuated by bodies and blood and an eerily deafening soundscape. They drive past empty streets, abandoned cars, urban buildings with curls of smoke rising. They bargain, at a remote gas station manned by hostile men toting guns, for fuel (their offer of $300 is scoffed at, until Lee clarifies that it’s $300  Canadian ). They witness a firing squad, a bloody riot on a city street, a load of bodies in a dump truck, snipers on the roof of an idyllic-looking small-town street. And they run toward all of it — taking pictures, asking questions, documenting, remembering. If “Civil War” wasn’t so utterly horrifying, it could be a superhero movie, with journalists wearing the capes. 

But in its quieter moments — you wish there were more of them — the film becomes the story of an impromptu family: four people united by a common goal. No one is saintly here: Lee, hardened and weary from years of war reporting, bickers with Joel about not wanting to take responsibility for the inexperienced Jessie, and makes it clear that Sammy is a burden; he’s old, she says, and can’t run. But ultimately they take care of each other, in sometimes surprising ways, and the actors let us see that bond. Dunst, whose Lee seems hard-wired to expect danger at every turn, beautifully lets us see the faintest of meltings as she becomes a reluctant mentor to Jessie. And Henderson shows us an aging man full of stories, even those he didn’t want to tell; he’s still seeking one last byline, somehow. 

“Civil War” creates the sort of dystopian world in which little flashes of normality seem startling: water bottles, newspaper vending boxes, a dress shop open for business, a quiet hotel room. They’re tiny islands of calm for these characters, racing through a war zone, not knowing how long they can stay alive. Lee, at one point, muses on her career documenting violence around the world. “I thought I was sending a warning home: Don’t do this,” she says. The words hang in the quiet for moment, soon drowned out by gunfire. 

With Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman. Written and directed by Alex Garland. 109 minutes. Rated R for strong violent content, bloody/disturbing images, and language throughout. Opens April 11 at multiple theaters. 

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The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

• Cast & crew

The Annoyed

The Annoyed about three directors trying to make a film about social problems of violence and abuse against women and executions. The Annoyed about three directors trying to make a film about social problems of violence and abuse against women and executions. The Annoyed about three directors trying to make a film about social problems of violence and abuse against women and executions.

• Mehdi Fard Ghaderi
• Mohammad Amin
• Hediyeh Azidhak
• Reza Behbudi
• 2 wins & 6 nominations

• Adel Avesta
• Adel Avesta's Fiance
• Azar Etemad's Husband

• Sepanta Shaygan's Wife
• Sepanta Shaygan

• Azar Etemad
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Mehdi Fard Ghaderi's 3nd feature film.

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• June 15, 2023 (China)
• Website Director
• Fard Pictures
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• Runtime 1 hour 20 minutes

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Abigail review – Dan Stevens throws himself into gleefully gory kidnap horror

A​fter forming a one-off criminal gang, Stevens and co come to regret kidnapping a gangster’s daughter ​– played by Matilda star Alisha Weir

F ew actors appear to derive such lip-smacking relish from the job as former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens . The bigger the performance, the greater the gusto with which he sinks his teeth into the role. And if a bit of scenery gets chewed along the way, well, that’s just collateral damage. As sneering and sadistic criminal Frank, Stevens is one of several reasons to watch this extravagantly gory botched kidnap horror. Another is the remarkably assured child actor Alisha Weir ( Matilda: The Musical ), playing the eponymous tutu-clad, 12-year-old kidnap victim, the daughter of a notorious underworld kingpin.

The kidnappers, assembled for this one-off job on the strength of their respective skills (the muscle, the hacker, the sociopath getaway driver, etc), are under the impression that the hard part of the gig is over once the girl has been snatched. All they need to do now is sit tight in the creepy mansion and wait to collect the $50m ransom. But neither the mansion (the design department goes all out on eerie gothic foreboding; the effects team then splatters it in blood and shredded entrails) nor the little girl are quite what they seem. Great fun.

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