BHFF 2025: ‘Affection’ Proves Jessica Rothe’s Genre Star Power

If folks aren’t familiar with Jessica Rothe yet, they sure will be after watching this extremely bendy sci-fi horror film. Affection is the directorial debut for BT Meza, who is also the film’s screenwriter, and it’s a film that’ll leave you guessing until the reveal. From there, you’re in for a sticky and nail-biting ride that you won’t want to jump off of. 

Affection follows Ellie (Jessica Rothe), who finds herself in a constant waking nightmare where she remembers nothing about her former life. Only to find out the truth of what’s causing her amnesia, and why everything feels so bizarre to her. And the film’s events really cement how sometimes the truth isn’t better than the lie. 

Affection kicks off with a very alarming scene that showcases Rothe’s commitment to her physicality, as her character seemingly wakes up in the middle of the road. She begins experiencing seizures, her one foot is clearly injured, and she gets hit by a car not too long after. Beginning Affection this way makes you wonder what exactly is going on. Only for us to be transported to a bedroom where Ellie is waking up, and panics because she doesn’t recognize the man in her bed. 

Jessica Rothe once again proves she is always the one to watch in Affection.

If you happen to be a very dedicated horror fan, this is where the alarm bells begin to ring because she wouldn’t be reacting this way for no reason. It’s rare for a woman in a horror film like this to just “lose it” or for their situation not to be very wrong. Ellie is soon led to believe that she experienced an unnamed accident, which essentially makes her forget parts of her life. And supposedly, she is living off the grid with her husband Bruce (Joseph Cross) and their daughter Alice (Julianna Layne) to aid her recovery. 

Rothe plays the apprehension and confusion so well throughout this first chunk of the film. Instead of completely surrendering to her circumstances, she’s still openly questioning why the memories she does have are different from what she’s being told. The subtext of domestic abuse blossoms during certain scenes, only it’s more than just subtext and firmly emerges to the surface later in the film. You can never fully trust Bruce because everything he says feels so false. 

As Affection carries on, it dips in and out of normal family moments where they’re trying to make the best of their situation. Though Ellie’s questioning begins to wear at the fabric of the story that Bruce is desperate to convince her of. Later in the film, the moment comes when Bruce stops pretending to be nice to her. And suddenly, the implication of domestic abuse stops being subtext. 

Affection turns the dial-up on the nail-biting meter after Ellie flees the house, only for her to discover a disturbing truth about what Bruce has been doing to her. It would be an extreme disservice to flat-out spoil what’s happening, as the reveal is a big moment in the film; therefore, the most that can be said is that it’s not about alien abduction, Stockholm Syndrome, or whether he’s a serial killer or anything. Instead, this is very much a sci-fi horror film with a twist you might not be expecting. 

Realism blends with sci-fi and horror, delivering an impactful, thrilling venture.

After the twist is revealed, the clock begins to tick, and everyone is trying to figure out where to go from here. The performances from all three cast members are fantastic. Huge applause goes to Rothe not only for her physical performance but also for infusing so much emotion into Ellie. She comes across as a real person from the moment we meet her. And a huge part of why is in Rothe’s acting, as well as how the script fleshes out her journey as a character.

The practical effects throughout this film are incredibly realistic, and the team makes extensive use of the minimal locations they were working with. Affection doesn’t feel like a film that’s chained down by its budget or its nearly one-location setting. It’s a film that reminds horror audiences that you can achieve a lot with very little, deliver a memorable experience, and give your audience plenty to chew on. 

Affection is a mind-bending thrill ride, featuring a solid three-person cast and a delightful directorial debut that will appeal to sci-fi horror lovers looking for something intriguing. Regardless of whether you love the end result of Affection, you’ll come out of the film enticed by Rothe’s commitment to her performance from start to finish. 

Affection screened as part of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.