I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Fantastic!

A different way of telling a story

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I decided to see this movie after reading all the great reviews on here. I was sorely disappointed. I'm typically a person who loves POV/ found footage horror movies (Blair Witch Project and the original Paranormal Activity are among my favorites) but this just doesn't even stand close to those. I don't regret watching it, I was entertained, but by no means is this the "best" POV horror movie like some of the reviews suggest.The very first thing that annoyed me was the lame "inspirational viral Facebook video" feeling they give to the first 20 or so minutes. You know those lame "im traveling the world, so heres a montage of videos with some inspirational music" type of videos? The first 20 minutes is JUST THAT. The acting is some of the worst I've seen in the POV/found footage genre. The way they try to add pauses and stutters to their sentences when they talk feels very scripted, like they practiced exactly when to take a pause. The conversations feel extremely overly written. Some of the best and believable dialogue come from giving the actors a general idea of what the conversation should be about, then letting them improvise. That makes for a real and believable conversation, but this movie is painfully obvious they scripted every line, every word, every pause, every stutter. It felt more like I was watching a play than a movie. Also a lot of the events just seem entirely implausible. He gets in trouble for wanting to buy blood at a blood bank, so the government sends a 10-15 person swat team on a "take him dead or alive" mission? Really? Also when he find the perfect abandoned building for shelter, complete with running water and electricity for all his camera equipment? What are the chances? This movie was a valiant effort, considering it was written, directed, and starred the same two guys. And by all means, its an entertaining little movie, but to someone who frequently watches POV/found footage movies I guess this one is just bland and generic in comparison.

AFFLICTED is a familiar found footage horror flick but one which holds your attention if you're in a forgiving mood. The narrative follows a couple of young guys around as they go on a world tour only to encounter a mysterious woman who brings darkness into their lives. What follows is extremely predictable and copies CHRONICLE here and there, but generally gets by thanks to a fast pace and lots of special effects done well on the low budget. The highlight are a couple of first-person POV action scenes which are really involving and get the blood flowing, so to speak.

For the record - I can't stand found-footage movies; for the exception of 'Chronicle'. The trailer for 'Afflicted' reminded me of 'Chronicle' and that's why I gave it a chance; I'm glad I did. What makes both films "good" is the use of practical effects. I can't help but imagine how good the original 'Blair Witch' would have been if they used the same formula.In 'Chronicle' it was a fuller budget to get a car crushed or thrown through the air & people flying in the clouds - 'Afflicted' had a smaller budget but still went basic fall stunts & cut camera effects; A simple method, but it makes great visuals. Derek punching the wall flipped my entire concept of the film. It went from a cheap b-movie to a really good movie, using a simple unexpected trick. The POV camera strapped to Derek as he jumped up a building or off a ledge all the way to the fight scenes was incredibly thought out and successful. If I had seen the same in 'Blair Witch' then 'Blair Witch would have been a great film.The vampire. Up until Clif sat down with Derek and started talking about him licking the blood; I wasn't even considering that Derek was becoming a vampire. It was an "ohhhhh" moment for me, as I remembered his skin burning and me not catching that. The shark-jump of 'Afflicted' started there. I've seen so much vampire shtick in the past decade that it was kind of a downer. Uhg, vampires ...Why couldn't they have invented a new fantasy creature instead? They could have taken Derek's condition and mixed it with "something" the French girl Audrey had (maybe an STD), something interesting, but ultimately something that changes Derek into an original monster. The film itself was done well enough for the audience to accept and even embrace a new folklore. If this film had introduced a brand new legend, I would have given it a solid 10.Even if you hate that idea; They should have left the same evidence without revealing vampirism. The audience could guess what Derek was becoming - He could have been transforming into a revenant for all we know. But I genuinely believe when you leave things up for interpretation (or fan theories) it creates a better story.

This movie wasn't great and obviously borrowed from some other films but overall I found the story interesting and the characters engaging.Special kudos for the special effects. Talk about getting the most out of a limited budget. Would like to see more from the makers of this film.