agmtw logo
search

Appendage (2023)

Appendage (2023)

5.6

Promising ideas keep this body horror afloat, but it's all too literal to be truly terrifying

Movie

United States of America
English
Comedy, Drama, Horror, Mystery
2023

TLDR

Raise a hand if you ever wanted your anxiety to literally leave your body.

What it's about

Hannah (Hadley Robinson) is trying really hard to keep up with her demanding job as an apprentice to a fashion designer, to open up to her boyfriend, and to manage the expectations of her cold mother. One day, self-doubt gets the best of her in a pretty literal way as her darkest thoughts become a gruesome entity of their own.

The take

Horror likes to take a human fear and personify it. It's a winning move, materializing our worst nightmares, but what does a woman's self-doubt look like? In this case, extremely ugly and somewhat laughable, but surely not scary. The special effects team dropped the ball on this one, and the appendage's physical presence is more distracting than anything. Its concept and its aura, though, go a long way, and there are a few admirable twists and turns that make a curious point about female psychology and social expectations. Their interdependency then translates into the film's sparse backstory, tracing a journey of trauma that's surprisingly relatable. Interestingly enough, director Anna Zlokovic made a short of the same name in 2021 which teased the idea of a monster sucking your confidence in secret, but her latest feature film lacks that punch. 

What stands out

While this is not a film for the faint-hearted, Appendage takes its body horror seriously. Of course, David Cronenberg's The Brood or Scanners come to mind, and you can tell Zlokovic learned from the best. The despicable creature in her film is not as scary or expertly crafted, but she knows better than to rely strictly on the gore. Instead, her mastery in turning the female body into a ticking bomb is praiseworthy. Whether Hannah prods at her stomach wound or just chips at her fingernail—to that excruciating sound of nail scratching nail—there's so much self-sabotage internalized in every gesture. What sets Appendage apart even as a second-rate horror film is how anxiety can be expressed through body horror to the point of hair-raising ick. 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Anora (2024)

An exciting and heartbreaking fairy tale with a modern, class-centric twist

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.9

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005)

Soldiers find and protect a slice of paradise in this surreal, heartfelt war comedy

8.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.