Summary
While only 94 minutes long, Appendage plays out like an overly long TV pilot no network wanted to pick up. Too many storylines are thrown together and nothing gets resolved. It’s choppy and by the end, the story fails to come together in any meaningful way.
Anna Zlokovic’s feature debut, Appendage, is the first from this year’s Hulu Huluween line-up of seasonal (mostly forgettable) horror flicks. The film blends elements of comedy, body horror, and satire and centers on a young fashion designer whose inner turmoil takes a physical form. We review this feature without spoilers.
While the premise and Zlokovic’s short film this is based on are intriguing, the film fails to tell a coherent story. Instead, Appendage is a mismatched mixture of too many genres that overcomplicate a plot about a foul-mouthed ingrown goblin.
Appendage Review and Plot Summary
Appendage introduces protagonist Hannah (Hadley Robinson) while she’s in the middle of an anxiety-inducing dinner with her overbearing parents. Her stress manifests in the form of painful stabs coming from inside her body.
The young woman seems to have her life all figured out. She has a loving relationship with her supportive boyfriend, Kaelin (Brandon Mychal Smith), and a job she adores working for a famed fashion designer.
But Hannah’s feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt turn into a creature that breaks free from within her. The thing, this appendage, voices all of Hannah’s anxieties.
When she thinks she’s completely lost her mind, she learns more people are facing similar struggles. They even have a weekly support group where she meets and befriends the mysterious Claudia (Emily Hampshire).
This could have been a really good horror comedy. It has an intriguing premise and some terrifyingly gory body horror elements. But the actual movie is boring.
While only 94 minutes long, Appendage plays out like an overly long TV pilot no network wanted to pick up. Too many storylines are thrown together, but nothing gets resolved. It’s choppy, and by the end, the story fails to come together in any meaningful way.
Hannah’s family problems, work problems, and relationship problems are introduced and then magically resolved at the end. It’s almost like watching several separate films meshed in with a CW drama.
First, there are the body horror parts. Throughout the first few minutes of Appendage, Hannah gets shooting pains from a tumor-like monstrosity protruding from within. Yet, she continues with her day as normal.
Then there’s the bizarre Gremlins-like plotline where Hannah learns how to manage her little foul-mouthed appendage.
We then get a few minutes of Invasion of the Body Snatchers before the final act turns into full-on Nancy Drew. Maybe this story could have worked as a miniseries, but it is hard to find rhyme or reason for it.
The performances are dry, and no one, not even Emily Hampshire, looks like they wanted to be there.
Is Appendage on Hulu worth your time?
Zlokovic’s short of the same name is only five minutes long, which is probably why that’s a better movie than the longer version. It’s a straight-to-the-point horror without the choppy fillers.
The worthwhile scenes in Appendage are few and far between. You’ll probably be better off just watching the shortened version and skipping this full feature altogether.
What did you think of the 2023 Hulu horror film Appendage? Comment below.
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