DO Watch This Movie! *Spoilers*

This movie seems to be one that divides the audience right down the middle.

First off, do not dismiss this as "another found footage movie". I mean, it IS another found footage movie, but just because some are bad, doesn't mean all are!

Afflicted kind of put me in mind of Chronicle more than anything else. Possibly because I came to the movie without knowing the plot. The summary said that it was a world trip that two friends take, whose video diary turns into a record of some debilitating disease.

I didn't know if that meant a zombie apocalypse or something similar, but I purposely hit play without reading anything further - and I'm really glad that I did.

Spoilers Start Here.

When Derek started getting sick following his bloody encounter with Audry in Paris, I was still thinking "Zombie Virus" ... so then, when the sunlight burned his face and hands a little later, I was actually surprised and had to change my assumptions about what had happened so far. When he started showing healing properties, great strength and agility, that's when I was thinking of Chronicle - genuinely still not knowing quite where this movie was going. Of course, once you realize he's becoming a vampire, you feel like it was obvious from long ago, but the fact remains that the plot had pulled me in far enough that I was enjoying the characters and the story rather than just working out the predictable plot points to come.

Once the Vampire thing was underway, it does become an exercise in predictability, but this is true of most movies. The search for Audrey, the tweaks to Vampire lore and the brief chase scenes easily kept it interesting to the end.

Now, about the Found Footage thing.

Yes, we've had bad experiences, but seriously, this one is really very good. The fact that they're "Catfishing" at the start, appearing as "themselves" who are genuinely good friends and film making partners for years actually provides some great background to the characters that is so often missing in the horror genre.

Plus, the justification for filming everything works a LOT better here BECAUSE they're film makers, and they're on a once in a lifetime epic journey. Plus, one thing that really sold it for me is that FINALLY we got a Found Footage movie where the characters have decent damn cameras! There was no downgrading of image quality in order to make scenes falsely "spooky". No pointless (quietquietquietquiet)BANG!! jumpscares ...

For me, Afflicted worked throughout.

My ONE issue is that it really wasn't at all scary - but it worked as a good thriller nonetheless.