Perfection gets sliced up in ‘Grafted’
Following it’s official premiere at this year’s Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival and ahead of its nationwide September 12 theatrical release, we now have a full trailer for the freaky new Kiwi body horror Grafted.
Watch the full trailer for Grafted below:
Here’s the official synopsis:
The film tells the story of a Chinese student (Sun) who travels to New Zealand to complete the scientific work of her deceased father, only to find a new way of achieving the popularity she so desperately craves by putting her studies to a new, and terrifying, use.
Grafted is the full-length directorial debut of award-winning Sasha Rainbow, whose short film Kamali was nominated for a BAFTA and long listed for an Academy Award. Grafted is written by Mia Maramara (Kāinga, Power Rangers), Hweiling Ow (T is for Talk, The Tattooist), Lee Murray (Aurealis, British Fantasy), and Rainbow.
Ow conceived the story from her own experience as an Asian immigrant, to create a unique coming-of-age horror story and sees Grafted as “a way to explore important themes like privilege, race, sex and cultural alienation.”
Collaborating on the final script with Murray, Rainbow says, “When I first read Grafted, I was blown away. It’s so easy to turn away, to avoid confronting what makes us uncomfortable but I love the social commentary of the themes in this film and its reflection on how society creates its own monsters.”
Grafted is brought to life by, and showcases the exceptional talent of, young female actors Joyena Sun, Jess Hong and Eden Hart, who deliver standout performances under the direction of Rainbow. “She really connects with the actor and collaborates. She wants to hear everyone’s opinion” says Sun of working with Rainbow.
The film’s unique portrayal of female body, and it’s delving into ideas of perfection and glamour, lead to a damn freaky watch, and horror fans looking for a squimish watch will find it with this one. It’s an immediate and full-on trailer, and as it moves forward it gets damn creepier by the second, and the gore goes sky high.
Ready yourself for a gnarly horror watch when Grafted arrives in cinemas on September 12.
Image: Monster Fest
