‘Suitable Flesh’: A Sexy And Outrageous Lovecraft Adaptation Made With Love [Tribeca 2023 Review]

Josh Korngut   |  

Jun 14, 2023

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The works of H.P. Lovecraft can be considered many things, but sexy is usually not one of them. That changed when legendary Master of Horror, Stuart Gordon, hit the scene with a string of Lovecraftian-exploitation flicks like Re-Animator, Castle Freak, and From Beyond. These classic titles took the hellish otherworlds of Lovecraft and framed them with a zany, fun, and accessible edge. Suitable Flesh director Joe Lynch (Mayhem), writer Dennis Paoli (Re-Animater), and producer/star Barbara Crampton (Jakob’s Wife) manage to harness back those exciting and outlandish qualities by adapting a slightly stuffy story into something unpretentious, wild, and freaky; if just a little rough around the edges.

Suitable Flesh follows Heather Graham as psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Derby who is unfortunate enough to encounter a strange and attractive new patient (Judah Lewis) who claims someone is trying to take his body away. Mesmerized by this young man, Elizabeth makes a string of out-of-character decisions, which leads her into deep, sexy trouble with an inter-dimensional shapeshifter hellbent on stealing her body. But Elizabeth is a fighter and will do whatever it takes to hold onto her personal autonomy … no matter what.

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Fans of 80s horror will be struck right away by the campy yet serious direction taken by this creative dream team. Those less versed with the subgenre might have a tough time getting their thumb over the pulse of the tone here. Suitable Flesh feels like a horror film for horror fans and even horror filmmakers, for that matter. It’s wacky, gory, and even a touch politically incorrect when it suits the story. At its core, this is a body-swap adventure. Even with the added layer of an unknowable Lovecraftian force acting as the agent of chaos, the setup is fairly simple and equally familiar. What sets it apart is its willingness to go the extra mile into bizarre, sticky, and completely uncomfortable territory.

While Graham and Crampton deliver reliably engaging performances, it’s relative newcomer Judah Lewis (The Babysitter) who most surprised me. There is a lot of body swapping going on in this film, which is an obviously tricky undertaking for any actor. Lewis, however, plays a total of five different characters with nuance and relative ease. I was also impressed by the way he embodied different genders without stereotypes or cliche.

It’s my interpretation that Lynch was paying homage to Gordon with this film, but there are moments that feel a little less like a throwback in style and just a little bit rough around the edges. Certain transitions are clunky, and there are moments where the special effects are aiming a little beyond its price range. But these are risks I love to see filmmakers take, and they further prove that this is a project crafted with serious and authentic love. Not many filmmakers would attempt to go so balls to the wall in the way that Lynch did, and it nearly always pays off.

Ultimately, Suitable Flesh is a treat for horror fans with a taste of the absurd and nostalgia. It never rewrites the wheel but instead takes a classic and loving approach to Lovecraft and inserts a sexy spin. If you’re a fan of Stuart Gordon and Lovecraft, you should definitely check this one out when you can.

Suitable Flesh had its World Premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

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