Affection review – memory loss thriller that keeps you guessing benefits from winning performances

Terrific acting, especially an intriguingly ambiguous turn by child actor Julianna Layne, ground this twisty little horror debut

W hen Ellie (Jessica Rothe) wakes up in bed in a house she doesn’t recognise, next to a man she doesn’t know, she naturally assumes the worst, in debut feature director BT Meza’s creepy thriller. Understandably, she freaks out, and is even more disconcerted when a little girl calling her mommy appears, distressed that Ellie doesn’t know who she is either. Has she been kidnapped? Why would this girl play along with the kidnapper’s ruse? At this point, Bruce (an excellent performance from Joseph Cross) intervenes, reassuring his daughter and explaining to Ellie that she has memory loss. He is her husband, he says, and Alice (Julianna Layne) is their little girl.

If you’ve ever watched a film before, you’ll know there are twists and turns coming. This nifty little movie keeps you guessing and when it eventually shows its hand, there’s still plenty of mileage left in the characters. Layne gives a beautifully calibrated performance as Alice; it’s initially genuinely difficult to work out if she’s an innocent caught up in a terrifying situation or somehow in on whatever is happening – and that’s exactly what this character needs. With a film that wants to tease the viewer as to exactly what genre we’re watching, it’s ideal to see a kid played with a degree of ambiguity.

Affection is also a great showcase for the adult leads, playing winningly with the idea that people who end up committing evil acts usually don’t truly believe they are doing wrong. That’s the case here, with everyone involved doing what they think is right. This premise gives one actor in particular the chance to explore a character who causes plenty of damage while believing themselves to be a righteous protector. You may and probably will disagree with their choices, but you can’t fault their basic motivation.