Title: Contracted
Writer/ Director: Eric England
Cast: Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams, Alice Macdonald, Katie Stegeman, Matt Mercer, Charley Koontz
Year: 2013
Min: 78
Samantha (the gorgeous Najarra Townsend) is at a party sans her pretty girlfriend Nikki (Katie Stegeman). Samantha calls her up, but she doesn't pick up the phone. Her friend Alice (Alice Macdonald) gives her a couple of shots to loosen her up. She also calls out Alice's creeper, Riley (Matt Mercer), who also happens to be this party. But, the actual danger comes not from him, but from a dude named BJ (Simon Barrett) who hands her another drink. Half conscious, Sam ends up in his car where he rapes her.
The next day she wakes up with blood running down her crotch and sharp pains. Soon things go from worse to totally fucking fucked up, as she begins to fall apart, literally and figuratively. She has "contracted" what is clearly the single worst STD in the history of mankind. To make things harder on her, her mom (Caroline Williams) thinks that she is back on drugs and doesn't approve of her lesbian lifestyle, her actual girlfriend is increasingly distant, her creeper keeps showing, and her work just plain sucks. The bad things continue to pile up and what happens as the movie progress will churn your stomach and make sure you NEVER forget your condom!
Make no bones about it, this is the one of the absolute best body horror movies to come down the pike, in a very long time, as well as being one of the most disgusting ones, too. Writer/ director Eric England has crafted an excellent movie that moves at a quick clip and keeps you interested up until the crushing ending. From start to finish this grim horror all the way and all the better for it. Working both as an allegory for date rape and warning of the dangers of STDs, this one should be played at a sex ed class!
The acting is truly excellent. Najara Townsend is amazing in the lead. We feel for her, throughout the movie. She is a likeable if flawed person going through an increasingly horrible situation. After seeing this movie, I am definitely a huge fan of this talented, young actress. Also, excellent is Caroline (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2) Williams who gives what maybe the best performance of her career, thus far. Her scenes with Townsend add an emotional weight to the story that helps to add to Samantha's whole ordeal.
There is some gore, but most of the shocks come from the actual disease and how it affects Samantha's body. What happens to her is increasingly barf inducing. Even, I seasoned horror viewer that I am, was in awe of what happens to her body. I kept screaming, "holy shit!" and "That's fucked up!". No spoilers here, since it's best to not how far this goes, so all I will say is "maggots". That's all you get from me, this time! The impressive and disgusting make-up FX by Mayera Abeita are gruesomely realistic. Plus, she has the very difficult task of making the gorgeous Townsend look more and more fucked up, something she achieves with disgusting perfection.
Contracted is up there with some of Cronenberg's work, as far as quality body horror goes. It might also be the best disease horror movie ever. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better one. Utterly disgusting, smart, intense, fast paced, and with excellent acting, I give this medical nightmarish chunkblower my highest possible recommendation.
**** out of ****
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