Grafted

2024

Action / Drama / Horror / Romance / Thriller

31
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 77% · 31 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 51% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 5.6/10 10 2642 2.6K

new zealand body horror student horror

Plot summary

When an awkward but brilliant Chinese student wins a scholarship into a prestigious New Zealand University, she finds a new way of achieving the popularity she craves one bloody body at a time.

Director

Sasha Rainbow Photo
Sasha Rainbow

Top cast

Mark Mitchinson Photo
Mark Mitchinson as John
Jared Turner Photo
Jared Turner as Paul
Ginette McDonald Photo
Ginette McDonald as Sheryl
Andrew Munro Photo
Andrew Munro as Policeman
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265
878.75 MB
1280*534
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 54
1.76 GB
1920*800
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 89
1.6 GB
1920*800
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 35

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by aronharde 6 / 10

Body-Horror that can't quite hold itself together

In Grafted, we follow a socially awkward exchange student from China who is trying to fit in with the popular girls while also striving to make her deceased father proud. She's highly intelligent and, just like her father, works on groundbreaking research capable of restoring human tissue.After a promising opening scene, the movie introduces us to our main characters, consisting primarily of our protagonist, Wei; her aunt, Ling; her cousin, Angela; and Angela's best friends, Jasmine and Eve. There is also a teacher named Paul, who takes a strong interest in Wei's rather unethical work which could become a problem.Once we get to know the characters, we spend time with Wei as she makes progress in her research while struggling in vain to fit in with Angela and her friends. The film leans into teen drama, unfortunately focusing too much on this aspect rather than her research, which is undoubtedly the more intriguing element that audiences will want to see. The theme of beauty ideals has long been explored through the subgenre of body horror, as seen recently with The Substance. Grafted inevitably draws comparisons to that film, which works to its detriment, as The Substance is far superior. As the movie delves into teen drama, you find yourself waiting for the body horror to take center stage and push boundaries. While it does reach that point eventually, it's not nearly enough.Without giving away spoilers, I can say that at a certain moment, a transformation occurs, and from that point on, the story starts to fall apart. Things stop making sense, and the film glosses over logical inconsistencies, expecting the audience to overlook them. The pacing also slows down, and moments that should have been impactful fail to pack a punch. The movie occasionally drifts into comedy, which is a fitting addition though. Towards the very end, body horror enthusiasts will finally get something to enjoy, but the film would have been far more effective if it had leaned into those moments more frequently.Unfortunately, the script demands a lot from the viewer, and if you're not fully on board, it becomes difficult to immerse yourself in the story. The premise had so much more potential, and while the concept was strong, certain narrative choices made it hard to stay engaged. Despite this, Grafted is still a decent watch, and its body horror elements are well-executed, but it could have been much more enjoyable. [5,8/10]
Reviewed by arungeorge13 5 / 10

Decent body horror, but the screenplay becomes weaker as it progresses. [+52%]

The film starts really strong, ushering in a blend of Chinese and Kiwi aesthetics, and offering a premise that's erupting with potential. The opening scene sets the tone for gory, skin-crawling events to follow. The first act easily won me over, and that's because I could connect to the protagonist Wei's struggles as an immigrant trying to fit in (given her childhood trauma and deformity), and possibly make her mark in academics. While both these core conflicts take centerstage, the body horror elements somehow fail to work (from a screenplay perspective), even when the special make-up effects are gnarly and effective. Scenes suddenly lack cohesion and the plausibility of certain events is heavily questionable (for instance, no one noticed the abrupt changes in height and weight?). The final act lands unconvincingly, and the film decides to go for maximum shock value. The performances also fail to evoke greater emotions, and the conclusion feels rather tame. The Substance, this is NOT.
Reviewed by PANDIAN120621 6 / 10

It's the rest of the world that's ugly...!!!

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