From writer/ director Eric England comes Contracted a horror film in the rarely scene sub genre of female body horror. Newly turned lesbian Samantha goes to a party at her friend Alice’s house when her girlfriend can’t make it the night spirals out of control leading to Samantha hooking up with a random guy. When morning comes around Samantha has no recollection of the night’s events but thinks she is suffering from an extreme hangover. Samantha soon starts suffering some physical issues such as profuse vaginal bleeding which leads her to think she acquired a STD. If only that was the case a little penicillin might have saved her life rather than decomposing over a three day period.
England delivers a bit of an uneven film, at times losing a grasp on common sense and logic. I liked the idea of playing off a menstrual cycle with copious amounts of blood being deposited in the toilet it’s as if a period was a crime scene, where the film goes a little off is when Samantha visits the Doctor, I have never heard of a doctor who doesn’t ask the patient to undress themselves this is a small thing but a bit off, Not to mention her symptoms would lead a person to head to the ER not a general practitioner. Where it really lost me was when Samantha looking 100% the disgusting hideous mess, replete with giant lesion on her mouth is able to get not one but two people to still want to hook up with her. She is repugnant at one point Alice declares she needs help, yet given the chance later kisses Samantha completely defying logic. Just like when Samantha is on the phone with her mom and then moments later the mom is right there even though she is never told where in the entirety of Los Angeles Samantha is.
It’s not all bad; it’s just given the short duration the switch in Samantha’s personality leading to her actions is a bit rushed. Samantha seems to have all her faculties about her yet never slowly descends into madness; she simply reaches a point where she goes off the rails. I could have also done without the overused clichéd tooth comes out while looking in the mirror scene which I have seen a million times before. The concept has potential I just wish England went all in, there are a few gross out scenes, yet not nearly enough.
If nothing else England has created the ultimate abstinence film.
Grade -65
