Review: GRAFTED is a Gross and Glamorous Feature Debut from Sasha Rainbow

Sasha Rainbow's superficiality satire Grafted feels like a J-horror inversion of Coralie Fargeat's breakout body-horror stunner The Substance. Shudder's latest original plays in a sandbox with titles like Sion Sono's Exte: Hair Extensions, where cosmetic alterations lead to unsettling results. Rainbow pulls from traditional mad scientist frameworks to tell a coming-of-age struggle from a Chinese immigrant's perspective, but in doing so, creates push-and-pull friction between a host of thematic intentions. Grafted deals in body-horror squeamishness, slasher heartlessness, and university ecosystems, but it's not always the steadiest execution. Highs are high, but they come at a cost.

Joyena Sun stars as Wei, a shy, reclusive daughter who watches her father die during a skin-replacement experiment gone Twilight Zone-y. He tries to cure them both of genetic facial birthmarks by inventing a self-healing patch using regenerative Corpse Flower cells—but the mind-of-its-own flap spreads over his mouth and nostrils, causing asphyxiation. Years later, Wei is taken in by her Aunty Ling (Xiao Hu) and classically popular cousin Angela (Jess Hong) as a Chinese scholarship student in New Zealand. Wei's excited to start life anew, trying to infiltrate Angela's top-tier friend group, but she's still clutching her father's notebook, determined to complete his dangerous work.

Grafted is at odds with itself but is in no way uninteresting. The opening sequence where little Wei tries to stab open a new breathing hole for her smooth-headed, suffocating dad is nightmare fuel. Later scenes where young adult Wei trials a new version of the miracle patch using syringes, flesh shavers, and full Leatherface-esque imagery match haunting vibes. Wei's strives to befriend Angela but also become Angela are a delicate balance until the story veers into full breakdown mode, cuing an invitingly batty streak of consequences. Rainbow doesn't skimp on the film's genre nastiness, while also fulfilling all the awkward turbulence that comes along with being an outcast in the "Mean Girls" hierarchy. It's all there, it's just a bit of a slurry.

Chief among curious choices is Wei's protruding, identifiable front tooth. It's a glaring practical cap intended to be immediately recognized—yet no character connects a single dot. Grafted operates as a body-swap murder spree once Wei's scientific research overtakes rationale, but every time we see Wei with another "mask" on (vagueness on purpose), Wei's signature snaggletooth stays prominent. As police reports stack missing persons, or Wei tries to assimilate into her new roles, the tooth is a dead giveaway that no one calls into question. It's a small detail, but one that a writing stable including Rainbow, Lee Murray, Mia Maramara, and Hweiling Ow leaves ambiguous. "Small" can still be significant when overlooked.

Rainbow's style is worth the film's substance, comparative pun intended. The mechanics of plot advancement may be routine—Wei allows her father's notebook to fall into her manipulative professor's hands (Paul, played by Jared Turner)—but Grafted's appeal is confident and sumptuous. You'd never peg this icky, underlyingly devious display of bodily mutilations to be Rainbow's feature debut. Stellar performances are well-directed, from Sun's socially stunted killer to Hong's petty-pretty princess or flanking college hotties played by Eden Hart and Sepi Toa. Tammy Williams' cinematography surveys Wei's spiral with sympathy and disgust, not shying away from practical flayings or other repulsive body-horror appeal. There's plenty to marvel at when chunked and snapshotted, which is more than some filmmakers muster even after a few production notches.

For Rainbow, based on Grafted, the future is bright. You couldn't plan a more perfect release, given how direct parallels make Grafted an easy companion watch to The Substance. They might not be on level ground, but Rainbow's scrappier indie stands proudly beside Fargeat's awards contender. Storytelling hiccups are a wart on Grafted, but there's enough makeup caked atop to lessen negative impacts. In a movie about imperfections, beauty culture, and dangerous obsessions, Rainbow avoids drowning in the mess she and her lead character make.

Movie Score: 3/5