Some of the most enjoyable movies are ones where the audience has to figure out what’s really going on. They present characters who wake up in strange situations, or find themselves unable to remember how they got where they are. Affection is one of those movies. It makes you ask a lot of strange questions. And you wait for answers while throwing you a whole lot of clues that don’t make a lot of sense. The key for these types of movies being good is the ending. If they can hit the ending well, audiences view the movie as good, but if they misfire, audiences generally shake their head and move on, without giving it much thought afterwards. Affection hits somewhere in the middle.

Ellie (Jessica Rothe) wakes up in a panic one morning when she discovers that she doesn’t know the man lying next to her. The man calls her Ellie, but the name doesn’t sound right. He tells her they have a daughter, but she doesn’t remember her either. He explains that she’s been sick, and that her memory fades in and out, and in order to heal they’ve moved to the middle of nowhere to remove all distractions. Ellie eventually accepts his explanations, but the life he tells her about doesn’t seem right to her. She decides to play along to find the truth, even if the truth is unfamiliar.

Films like Affection are hard to pigeon hole. At first it feels like a horror film, but it very quickly starts to feel more like a mystery with a pinch of The Twilight Zone thrown in. The Twilight Zone comparison never really fades away either as the story starts to head down a more science fiction road. Like the aforementioned series, Affection plays out in a way that is almost impossible to predict. Yes there are certain aspects of it that are very apparent, but the plot itself is unique enough that it’s hard to figure out what’s going on until the very end.

With such a small cast (there are only three characters in the entire film) the enjoyment of the film will highly depends on the cast’s performances. Thankfully all of them are good at what they do. Rothe’s range helps carry the film, while Joseph Cross manages to stay steady throughout which keeps you guessing as to his characters motivation. Even 9 year old Julianna Layne holds her own.

The main issue with Affection is how you will handle the over all plot when all the cards have been lain out. While the story is fairly strong throughout, there are some questionable parts that won’t sit well with some viewers. These are going to be the same viewers who want more of an explanation than what they are given. We live in a time when most movies tend to go overboard with explanations. So it is rather refreshing to see something a little different that leaves you with a lot of questions when the end credits start to roll.

Affection isn’t for everyone, but for those who do enjoy movies with a little bit of mystery, horror and science fiction all tossed together there is enjoyment to be had watching it. With a strong cast, and and interesting story, it’s a film well worth spending time on.