Suitable Flesh - Everything You Need To Know

The influence and legacy left behind by acclaimed fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft cannot be overstated. The author's fantastical catalog of short stories and novellas crafted rich mythos and themes that, while not as appreciated during his lifetime, have gone on to inspire and fuel the minds of creative geniuses such as Stephen King, John Carpenter, and Guillermo del Toro. Now, one of Lovecraft's short stories is receiving the cinematic treatment with the upcoming horror release "Suitable Flesh." 

Based on the 1933 short story "The Thing on the Doorstep," it took some time for its film adaptation to get off the ground. From 20 years of development to a successful Tribeca Film Festival premiere, "Suitable Flesh" has gone through quite the journey to become what it is today. And as the horror project inches towards finally being seen by the public, it's time we take a deep dive into everything we know about "Suitable Flesh." 

"Suitable Flesh" will be released later this year, with no specific release date currently confirmed. The film will receive a theatrical and digital release before heading to the horror streamer Shudder. 

The film was initially conjured up in the 1990s by director Stuart Gordon. Gordon, whose filmography includes several Lovecraft adaptations such as "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond," developed the idea with writer Dennis Paoli and tried finding funding for the project for 20 years. Following Gordon's death in 2020, Barbara Crampton, a recurring actress in many of Gordon's films, learned of the project. 

"This was a project that Stuart Gordon was trying to get off the ground with Dennis Paoli, the writer, for 20 years, 25 years," Crampton tells ScreenRant. "And, for whatever reason, it never happened. Then, when Stuart Gordon passed away, I asked Dennis Paoli what he had on his shelf that was collecting dust, that he had never done before, with Stuart." Crampton fell in love with the long-lost concept and brought "Suitable Flesh" to AMP Films, where she would go on to act as both an actress and producer on the project. The film's first five minutes were showcased at Panic Fest 2023 ahead of its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival's genre-focused program Escape from Tribeca.

"Suitable Flesh" merges a variety of ideas and genres to create a film that carries a distinct identity of its own. According to the description from Tribeca Film, the film focuses on Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham), a psychiatrist whose fascination with aiding a male patient with a personality disorder leads to a horrific action. She recounts the events to a doctor, leading to the discovery of even more dark and twisted secrets. 

There are plenty of unique elements that make up the DNA of "Suitable Flesh." Blending its Lovecraftian-inspired premise with elements of modern horror and erotic thrillers, the film seems to be building upon variations of genre storytelling to deliver a special breed of terror. Its plot will also have plenty of opportunities to play around with structure, as it could very easily take a non-linear approach in revealing details regarding Elizabeth's story. Whichever direction it chooses to go, the story of "Suitable Flesh" should be more than enough to please any horror fanatic.

Starring in the lead role of psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby is actress Heather Graham. Graham's career began in the late '80s and early '90s with supporting roles on projects such as Gus Van Sant's "Drugstore Cowboy" and the David Lynch TV series "Twin Peaks." Her role as the adult movie star Rollergirl in Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film "Boogie Nights" earned Graham widespread recognition and helped her gain more substantial roles in films such as "Bowfinger," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," and "From Hell." 

Aside from Graham, the roles of the remaining cast members largely remain a mystery. Barbara Crampton co-stars with Graham and, judging from the trailer, appears to be playing the doctor investigating Derby. Crampton's horror resume spans decades, with roles ranging from the 1986 film "Chopping Mall" to the 2019 Hulu horror anthology "Into the Dark."  Her collaborations with director Stuart Gordon on films such as "Re-Animator," "From Beyond," and "Castle Freak" are fondly remembered, and served as the foundation for the creation of "Suitable Flesh."

Rounding out the main cast are Johnathon Schaech, Judah Lewis, and Bruce Davison. Schaech has starred in a variety of roles over the years, including horror-centric parts in "Prom Night" and "Quarantine." In his short career, Lewis has been featured in several horror films, including "Summer of 84," "I See You," and "The Babysitter." Davison is perhaps best known for his involvement in the first two "X-Men" films as Senator Robert Kelly. 

Director Joe Lynch tackles the tall task of bringing the words of H.P. Lovecraft to life. In recent years, Lynch has become a much-loved name in the world of genre cinema. After directing short films, TV shows, and music videos, Lynch took the big step into feature films with 2007's "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End," the second and best-reviewed entry of the  "Wrong Turn" franchise that began in 2003.  

His next spine-tingling directorial effort came in 2011 with the horror comedy anthology "Chillerama," where he wrote, directed, and starred in the film's fourth and final segment, "Zom-B-Movie." The following year's "Knights of Badassdom" was heavily tampered with by studio interference and Lynch has since largely distanced himself from the film. In response, some fans have issued the social media campaign "#ReleaseTheLynchCut," in hopes of seeing a more complete version. 

Following the 2014 Salma Hayek-starring thriller "Everly," fans got their full dosage of Lynch with the 2017 horror action comedy "Mayhem." Starring Steve Yeun and Samara Weaving, the film premiered at South by Southwest and received critical acclaim. He has also directed his fair share of horror television such as the Shudder anthology "Creepshow," a continuation of the fan-favorite horror franchise that began in 1982. Stuart Gordon himself was a fan of Lynch, as Barbara Crampton tells Entertainment Weekly, "I said to Stuart, 'Who do you think in today's modern world of directing is close to your sensibility?' He said, 'Joe Lynch' and I agreed."

The screenplay for "Suitable Flesh" was written by horror legend Dennis Paoli. Paoli's collection of written work within the genre spans far and wide, from 1987's "Ghoulies II" to 1993's "Body Snatchers" to the 2005 Showtime series "Masters of Horror." Throughout his career, he has collaborated with director Stuart Gordon five times, writing the screenplays for "Re-Animator," "From Beyond," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "Castle Freak," and "Dagon." "Flesh" is Paoli's first theatrical screenwriting credit since 2001's "Dagon."

"Suitable Flesh" is being produced under both Eyevox Entertainment and Alliance Media Partners. The film's producing team consists of Barbara Crampton, Joe Wicker, Bob Portal, and Inderpal Singh, with Joe Lynch, James Norrie, Rick Moore, and Nina Kolokouri serving as executive producers. Also executive producing is Brian Yuzna, who worked with Gordon, Paoli, and Crampton as a producer on "From Beyond" and "Re-Animator," before producing and writing the latter "Re-Animator" films.  

A trailer for "Suitable Flesh" was released by Fangoria Magazine. While very short, only barely passing the one-minute mark, the teaser gives a good idea of what's in store for the horror offering. 

The teaser consists of practically nothing but snippets from various points of the film. In these brief seconds, the trailer balances between showing over-the-top kills, scenes of eroticism, and people in tense situations. What is undeniably apparent throughout it all is that Heather Graham dominates the film. Whether needing to portray scenes of outrageous violence or more subtle scenarios, her character doesn't hold back from delivering some chilling moments that are sure to unfold into something truly memorable. While the film's production values aren't especially high, Joe Lynch's creative camera angles, editing, and lighting choices more than make up for it, delivering an experience that radiates energy in just about every scene. There may not be a lot to this teaser, but it nevertheless acts as a perfect appetizer to the nightmarish main course.

"Suitable Flesh" is based on H.P. Lovecraft's 1933 short story "The Thing on the Doorstep." Conjured up from one of the author's nightmares, the story follows Daniel Upton as he attempts to convince himself that he is not a murderer after killing his best friend and fellow occult member Edward Derby. While written in 1933, it wouldn't see publication until 1937 in the pulp magazine "Weird Tales." It also received a more fateful cinematic adaptation with a 2014 film of the same name by director Tom Gliserman. 

Given the heavily dated viewpoints of Lovecraft that often filtered into his work, it was necessary that "Suitable Flesh" be updated for modern audiences. In an interview with Fangoria, director Joe Lynch expressed the rich possibilities of the story, especially when reading writer Dennis Paoli's screenplay, saying, "When I read Dennis Paoli's adaptation of the story, I felt like there was a fantastic opportunity to update and subvert Lovecraft's often old-fashioned sensibilities in a way that felt modern, relevant and even dangerous, with a pinch of '90s neo-noir and a dash of eroticism to spice up the stew ... we're so excited that this sexy, funny, scary film isn't just a modernized love letter to Lovecraft, but the kind of provocatively entertaining 'sin-ema' I believe audiences are salivating for!" While aiming to keep his version sinister, Lynch and company swapped the characters' genders as a way to bring a fresh lens to the story.