Affection (2026) Review – Recycled Ideas, Still Fun
Affection: Quick Verdict
The TL;DR: Affection is a solid, mid-week sci-fi thriller that successfully transitions from a slow-burning domestic medical drama into a viscerally nasty horror show. While the first half drags considerably under the weight of some heavy padding, the narrative gets a major kick up the bum at the midway mark, giving way to a twist that, while familiar, is fun enough to keep things compelling. Anchored by a fantastic, physically demanding lead performance from Jessica Rothe and a wonderfully smarmy turn by Joseph Cross, the film ultimately stumbles when it comes to narrative originality, borrowing its big twists a little too heavily from recent genre stablemates. It is well worth a watch for sci-fi horror fans, but it doesn’t quite do enough to warrant a trip to the cinema… Save yourself some money and catch it when it hits streaming in a few months.
Details: Director: BT Meza | Cast: Jessica Rothe, Joseph Cross, Julianna Layne | Runtime: 90 Minutes | Release Date: April 17th 2026 | Where to Watch: Limited Theatrical Release / Streaming Soon
Best For: Fans of sci-fi tinged psychological thrillers, cat-and-mouse tension, and viewers who don’t mind a slow-burn setup that eventually rewards them with some highly effective, viscerally gruesome practical effects.
Worth Noting: After hitting the festival circuit in 2025, the film finally landed a limited theatrical run in 2026. The third act features a somewhat frustrating, question-mark ending that attempts to tease a sequel the story didn’t actually need.
Did You Know: For a film built entirely around a major sci-fi narrative pivot, the first half deliberately masquerades as a routine domestic drama, relying heavily on Ellie’s terrifying bouts of amnesia to build a sense of total displacement.
Is It Scary: It leans closer to a tense sci-fi thriller, but it features genuine moments of horror. The real unease comes from some incredibly nasty facial trauma and the existential implications of the story itself.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(A derivative but entertaining sci-fi horror hybrid elevated by great practical effects and a stellar performance from Jessica Rothe.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at sci-fi horror movie Affection (2026). Affection hit the festival circuit in 2025 before seeing a limited theatrical release in 2026. I’d expect it to come to streaming services within the next few months and I am going to suggest that you jump on it then rather than run out to the cinema. This is a perfect lazy weekday horror movie.
Table of Contents
Science Fiction B-Movie Horror
Now, even calling this a science-fiction based horror risks stepping into spoiler territory because the early parts of the movie don’t give much away, at all.
Ellie (Jessica Rothe) suffers from a condition that leaves her with bouts of amnesia. She wakes up every day not remembering the faces of her husband, Bruce (Joseph Cross), and daughter, Alice (Julianna Layne).
“It’s actually quite gruesome in parts. The effects team gets very creative when it comes to horrible facial injuries.”
As she attempts to overcome the illness and rebuild her fractured memory, Ellie begins to suffer seizures that hint at a much more malevolent cause for the ailment.
Affection spends the first half of its life masquerading as something of a domestic, medical drama with the occasional moment of horror thrown in for good measure. Think Relic and you are on the right track.
The main narrative shove comes from Ellie’s feeling of displacement and desire to understand why this situation doesn’t feel right to her. Everyone else seems fine so why does she feel like she doesn’t belong?
Something is amiss but her husband acts as though she is simply not very well. His occasional angry outbursts seem a little less like carer fatigue and more like a man with a serious problem but, hey, she apparently married him so this must be normal, right?
As far as domestic drama goes, it’s fairly run of the mill stuff. It’s not all that interesting or compelling and the only thing to really hang your hat on is the fact that the story must be going somewhere so why not stick with it?
And then the horror…
Around the halfway point, Affection opens up and starts to feel a little more like a horror movie. A major revelation in the story reveals the truth of Ellie’s predicament and it’s one of those moments of existential horror that actually makes you feel a little sad when you think about it too much.
All of a sudden, everything doesn’t seem quite so simple and Ellie’s search for identity becomes more of a search for a reason to keep on going. We aren’t just relying on the story to bring the scares, though. The plot steps aside to allow viewers to indulge in some 2000’s style bodily twitching and a few scenes of surprising violence.
It’s actually quite gruesome in parts. The effects team gets very creative when it comes to horrible facial injuries. I wouldn’t call it body horror but it does lean that way, occasionally.
There’s something quite viscerally nasty about seeing the human body ambling about with injuries that you would presume to be fatal in most cases.
“It’s one of those moments of existential horror that actually makes you feel a little sad when you think about it too much.”
It would be remiss of me to not point out the familiarity of the aforementioned plot revelation; particularly if you have watched a couple of movies I will talk about shortly. With that being said, the twist is welcome and it does a nice job of kicking the narrative up the bum a bit and getting things moving.
We even venture into some science fiction based thriller territory every now and then. There’s some fun cat and mouse stuff and some enjoyable moments of creeping around in the dark that should keep most viewers just a tad on edge.
Fantastic performances
The events are presented predominantly from Ellie’s perspective with the occasional diversion to check on other characters. A trait which serves to amplify the tension as we get a decent idea of where certain characters are in relation to each other and just how vulnerable Ellie is.
“All in all, it’s pretty compelling stuff and a great option for a lazy mid-week horror movie. For a horror debut, as well, it’s especially noteworthy.”
The fantastic Jessica Rothe (of Happy Death Day fame) is a treat in that role, too. She does a great job with both the physical and emotional stuff and always brings a lot to every character she plays.
Joseph Cross, as Bruce, seems horribly smarmy at first but it all falls into place later on and he does a nice job as the tension ramps up. Anyone else think he looks like Shawn Ashmore? I was seriously shocked when I realised he is Charlie from the horrible snowman themed horror family comedy Jack Frost from 1998. Maybe Charlie didn’t ever get over his grief?
All in all, it’s pretty compelling stuff and a great option for a lazy mid-week horror movie. For a horror debut, as well, it’s especially noteworthy. Writer, director BT Meza only really stumbles when it comes to originality and pacing. The first half of the movie drags and feels very padded. Things do pick up later on, though.
There’s a bit of a question mark ending that feels woefully unnecessary given the way the story plays out. It’s one of those pointless finales that sets up a sequel that might never, and doesn’t really need to, happen.
Where Have I Seen This Before?
The ending isn’t my biggest complaint with Affection. It’s the consistent sense of “where have I seen this before” that was bugging me. My fiancee called it in mere minutes, too.
At the risk of giving too much away, if you happen to have watched a little Aussie horror called In Vitro anytime recently, this film is going to feel a tad familiar. Hell, if we go back to 2020’s Archive, it might even inspire a serious feeling of déjà vu.
If you enjoyed those films, great! You are in for a treat. If you missed them, the twist here should feel pretty clever. With that being said, Affection’s smart narrative pivot is definitely borrowed from other films that really aren’t old enough to not deserve a mention here.
I still enjoyed this film, even if it was starkly apparent that it was rehashing ideas from the last few years. It’s doesn’t do anything spectacularly but it does enough well to stand as a solid recommend.
The Good
- Stellar Lead Performances: Jessica Rothe is a total treat, effortlessly handling both the heavy emotional and demanding physical aspects of her role, supported well by Joseph Cross’s smarmy charm.
- Viscerally Nasty Effects: The makeup and practical effects teams get wonderfully creative in the second half, delivering shockingly gruesome and memorable facial injuries.
- Enjoyable Second-Half Tension: Once the twist drops, the film shifts gears into an entertaining sci-fi thriller packed with solid cat-and-mouse sequences and fun moments of creeping around in the dark.
- Clever Perspective Shifts: Presenting the nightmare predominantly from Ellie’s point of view amplifies her vulnerability and deepens the sense of dread.
The Bad
- Sluggish, Padded First Half: The movie takes far too long to get going, spending its first half dragging through a fairly routine, uninspiring domestic drama framework.
- Stark Lack of Originality: The central, smart narrative pivot feels very derivative, heavily rehashing concepts from recent sci-fi genre films without adding much new flavor.
- Pointless Ending: Closes on a frustratingly unnecessary question-mark finale that exists solely to tease a sequel that doesn’t really need to happen.
The Ugly: Those damn facial injuries: Yes, they can be in the ugly, as well… They are seriously nasty looking.
Should You Watch Affection?
Yes, but there is no need to rush out to the cinema for it. Affection is a derivative but highly entertaining sci-fi horror hybrid that makes for a great lazy mid-week watch. While BT Meza’s movie stumbles when it comes to pacing and originality, borrowing a little too shamelessly from recent genre stablemates, the film is saved by excellent practical gore, an enjoyable (albeit familiar) twist, some decent tension, and a stellar performance from Jessica Rothe. It does just enough right to earn a solid recommendation. Skip the theatre ticket and wait for this one to land on streaming services in a few months.
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