‘Grafted’ is a 2024 horror film directed by Sasha Rainbow, featuring Joyena Sun in the lead role.
The story follows Wei, a socially awkward Chinese student in New Zealand, who struggles with her facial birthmark and turns to her late father’s experimental skin grafting research to “fix” herself. This decision leads to unsettling and transformative consequences, blending body horror with a critique of modern beauty ideals.
Skin grafting plays a pivotal role both in the narrative and the horror elements of the film. The procedure, while initially portrayed as a potential solution for Wei’s personal struggles, quickly spirals into a disturbing and grotesque journey. The experimental grafts are far from conventional, leading to eerie transformations that blur the line between self-improvement and body horror. It draws comparisons to films like “The Substance” as it presents a visceral commentary on how society defines beauty.
The film uses skin grafting as a metaphor for the destructive pursuit of perfection and how altering one’s physical appearance can have unintended consequences. The themes of identity, beauty standards, cultural expectations and societal pressures are seen through the lens of body modification and transformation.
I really enjoyed how this movie uses horror as a medium to challenge these norms, delivering its message with a punk attitude and raw visuals.