Suitable Flesh takes an admirable stab at returning to the glory days of 80’s sci-fi body horror with a fun, campy, blood-spurting homage to Re-animator. Despite its flaws, it’s a good time if you can embrace the over-the-top, sometimes cheesy acting and story. 

​

Part erotic thriller, part sci-fi gore fest, part Freaky Friday, Suitable Flesh delivers as a guilty pleasure akin to finding a dusty VHS tape in your local video store. Heather Graham stars in the first role I’ve seen her in in quite awhile. I mostly know her from Boogie Nights and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She portrays psychiatrist, Elizabeth Derby, who becomes entangled in an affair with a young patient who is harboring a mysterious evil spirit.  The young patient is one of several victims the spirit has inhabited, forming a parasitic relationship with any body it desires. 

​

The story infuses eroticism that pairs with the sci-fi awkwardly. Between the lack of chemistry between actors and clunky line deliveries, these ‘sexy’ scenes are more reminiscent of The Room than Basic Instinct. I never thought I would go from fawning over Heather Graham as a teenager, to constantly checking my watch, eagerly awaiting for these scenes to be over. I wished the movie would move on to the wacky violence and body swapping hijinks it excels at. 

​

Barbara Crampton was my favorite performance in the movie as Elizabeth’s best friend and colleague. Their friendship radiates authenticity and a history between the characters, whereas other relationships fall flat and lack real affection or connection. 

​

Suitable Flesh is a worthwhile nostalgia trip for fans of 80s horror and sci-fi, the work of of the late Stuart Gordon and H. P. Lovecraft adaptations, but the film’s draw will be limited to its small, niche target audience.