First-time feature film directors Derek Lee and Clif Prowse have unleashed a stunning new trailer for their award-winning debut, Afflicted.
Attempting a fresh spin on the found-footage genre, Afflicted features the two directors in the lead roles, as versions of themselves. Derek and Clif are two best friends embarking on the trip of a lifetime – a year long round-the-world voyage which they intend to capture as an online travelogue. What they actually capture though is Derek’s transformation into something deeply disturbing, having succumbed to a mysterious affliction that results from an encounter with a woman in Paris.
The trailer itself presents a fairly unique view of the film, which won the award for ‘Best Canadian First Feature’ at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. Instead of following the traditional trailer format of ‘basic plot set-up/highlight dialogue moments/montage of money-shots’, the 2 minute 29 second long trailer effectively turns the film on its head, jumping from the beginning of the movie to (presumably) the end. It then moves backward in time – noting the days – to the initial ‘incident’ that sets these terrifying events in motion.
The result is that, by the time the trailer reaches its conclusion, and we are about to witness Derek’s poor decision, we are desperately willing him not to do it. We are invested in these guys and their plight after watching just 89 seconds of footage. Now that’s a good trailer.
Afflicted is set for a limited US release on April 4th, 2014.
