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Overlook 2026: Affection Review
Image Credit: Blue Finch Films
Loading...Directed by: BT Meza
Written by: BT Meza
Starring:
Jessica Rothe – Ellie
Joseph Cross – Bruce
Julianna Layne – Alice
Running Time: 93 minutes
Not Rated
I don’t think it’s a particularly hot take to say that Jessica Rothe is one of Hollywood’s most slept-on stars. The Happy Death Day star has been the best thing about nearly every project she’s been a part of, displaying effortless charm and an ability to move seamlessly through multiple genres.
Affection leans hard on Rothe’s talents and comes out a winner in large part because of her. BT Meza’s amnesiac thriller, which screened at the Overlook Film Festival, casts the actress as the binding force of a provocative mystery that delves into the darker corners of grief, loss and the depths we’ll go to hold onto things that we love.
Affection opens with an attention-grabber, as we see a badly hurt woman (Rothe) laying face-down and motionless next to an idling car on a dark road at night. She starts to convulse and slowly gets to her feet, attempting to limp her way agonizingly down the road before another car drives up and we cut to black.
When we cut back in, the woman is waking up in an unfamiliar bed next to an unfamiliar man. She panics and runs downstairs, only to find that he is apparently her husband named Bruce (Joseph Cross), her name is Ellie, and they have a daughter named Alice (Julianna Layne). She remembers her name differently and having a different husband and a son, but Bruce tells her that she was in an accident that left her with a type of amnesia where her memory resets, and she is pulling fragments from her brain into false memories. And to make matters worse, Ellie is suffering from seizures because of her condition which threaten bring on another memory reset.
Bruce explains that he has brought her and Alice to an isolated farmhouse where she can rebuild her real memories without intrusion. Convinced by Alice and Bruce’s sincerity, Ellie tries to navigate the situation but worries about what will happen to who she is when her memories reform. Will the person she is now cease to be?
While that heady question is something sincerely touched on in Affection, Meza’s three-hander has a lot more going inside its 93-minute runtime. Ellie conflict, handled beautifully by Rothe, is complicated by her quickly growing relationship with the daughter she doesn’t remember. Even Bruce’s affection and desire to help her feels very real, with Cross’s likable performance doing a lot of to sell his credibility.
Of course, this being a thriller and not a drama, it’s not as simple as Bruce is suggesting. Things start to get wild when they take on a sci-fi bent, and that’s when Meza really goes for broke. The narrative gets a little bit bumpy here when the requisite exposition dump comes into play, but Meza keeps things moving along quickly and benefits from his cast and some very good practical effects work to ease the choppy momentum.
Really though, this is Rothe’s stage and she makes the most of it. Rothe gets to stretch out quite nicely in the role, giving Ellie dramatic depth and establishing strong chemistry with her co-stars. She throws herself into the physical aspects of her performance with full commitment, to the point that seeing her seizures are physically uncomfortable. It is a new career-best performance from an actress who has already given audiences — particularly genre fans — plenty of reason to appreciate what she brings to the table.
There are times in the final act where the horror moments risk overwhelming the narrative and its potent themes. To Meza and his cast’s credit, they manage to keep the delicate balance steady. For all its late sci-fi trappings, Affection finds its strongest moments in a grounded approach and that allows its themes to linger well after the credits have rolled.
Overlook Film Festival takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana from April 9th through the 12th.
