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Fear is the lifeblood of horror, splintering into countless subgenres: from chilling paranormal tales to relentless slashers and mind-bending psychological stories. The movies that haunt me are those where a character wakes up lost, surrounded by strangers, and gripped by confusion. That is exactly the nightmare Ellie faces in BT Meza’s Affection. With Jessica Rothe of Happy Death Day leading the cast, the film draws you in with its premise, though its writing occasionally stumbles.
Jessica Rothe Delivers a Haunting Performance in Affection, a Sci-Fi Horror That Blurs Reality and Grief
The story centers on Ellie, played by Rothe, who jolts awake in a world that feels utterly alien. She is startled by the presence of a man (Joseph Cross) insisting he is her husband and a young girl (Julianna Layne) who calls her mom, yet Ellie’s mind draws a blank. Both are strangers to her. Even her own reflection and voice seem like those of an unknown person. The first half of the film is a slow unraveling, with Ellie demanding the truth from her supposed husband while being spoon-fed memories that feel like someone else’s. He claims a car accident is to blame for her disassociation, but as Ellie tries to slip into the role expected of her, the life she’s told is hers remains stubbornly unfamiliar.
When Affection landed on the Screamfest 2025 lineup, I instantly knew I would be seeing it—Jessica Rothe is reason enough to watch. The filmmakers clearly recognized her star power, building the film around her magnetic presence. Rothe’s Ellie is the engine that drives this wild, genre-blending ride (a ride that sometimes misfires). She is both vulnerable and unbreakable, clawing for answers in a world that refuses to make sense. Cross, too, delivers a chilling performance as the enigmatic husband, while Layne brings heart to the story as a child desperate for the comfort of a normal family.
Meza’s direction is confident, weaving together sci-fi and horror with splashes of gore and a mysterious extraterrestrial thread. There are moments that genuinely make you gasp. Yet, the script falters, bogged down by pacing issues that make even a short runtime feel stretched. Lingering questions, like the retrospection of the man’s actions, or Ellie’s real identity, remain frustratingly unanswered. By the end, the film seems torn between being a horror or a sci-fi, landing somewhere in the middle and leaving both genres’ fans wanting more.
But what’s Affection about, metaphorically speaking? Or perhaps it’s just as it is, a sci-hi horror? For me, it’s about grief, and how we can’t let go of it sometimes. Thus, in turn, it might cause us more harm than good, which Affection proves in its storyline. However, it feels like the message gets a bit lost in translation due to the many things thrown our way in the narrative.
For me, Meza’s creation is one of those films that will be divisive in how it’s received. While it sets up quite an intriguing story, and it’s so good to see Rothe back, it may be a tad slow and confusing for some. That said, if you want to see the Happy Death Day Scream Queen back and experience some gore, this may be a good position for you.
Grade: B-
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Affection
Ellie Carter has never met the man who calls himself her husband, nor does she recognize the girl who calls her mother, and can’t remember the life she is told is her own. Afflicted by violent seizures that reset her memory without warning, she is trapped in a cyclical nightmare, struggling to uncover the horrifying truth of her existence before she forgets it all over again.
