Overlook Film Festival 2026 included a screening of a unique sci-fi thriller, Affection. This is the feature-film debut for writer and director BT Meza and tells the story of a woman named Ellie. An accident has left her with no memory of the people claiming to be her husband and daughter. The more Ellie tries to piece her memories back together, the more she believes this isn’t her life.

Meza has crafted an unexpected work of science fiction with an edge-of-your-seat plot in Affection. When the audience first meets Ellie, she’s woken up in an unfamiliar home with a strange man sleeping in the bed beside her. It throws the viewer right into Ellie’s point of view. She has no idea where she is, what’s going on, or why this man claims to be her husband. What’s more, Ellie is convinced her name is Sarah and she has an entirely different life and family. As her husband and daughter try to help her regain her memories, strange things begin to happen around the rural farmhouse. The film presents many more questions before it provides any answers. It builds and builds on the mystery of who Ellie is, keeping the audience guessing. Once some of the truth comes to light, that’s when the film really leans into the sci-fi elements. While the mythos created for this film is quite interesting and adds to the surprise twists and turns of the plot, there are also times when the pieces don’t all fit together. Certain aspects of the mystery aren’t explained clearly enough, leaving the audience to try to make the connections on their own. While this can be frustrating, the story being told is still a compelling one. It speaks to themes of individuality, memory, and autonomy. It also creates a fascinating commentary on what it means to be human and how others will ignore your humanity if it could potentially impede their own goals. While the plot could have explored this idea of humanity more deeply, what the film does incorporate is thought-provoking.

Affection has a small cast of just three actors to bring this story to the big screen. Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day 2U, Boy Kills World) stars as Ellie. Rothe has proved before that she can deliver a knockout performance in the genre space. Her portrayal of Ellie in Affection is another great example of that. Rothe goes through the whole gambit of emotions throughout this film. At first she’s fearful and panicked, then guarded and mistrustful, all while showing some maternal instinct with the girl claiming to be her daughte, allowing for Rothe to show the complicated situation Ellie is in. Yet it’s Ellie’s unwavering determination to find the truth that powers Rothe’s performance from start to finish. Joseph Cross (Mindhunter, Mank) plays Ellie’s husband, Bruce. Cross will immediately put the audience on edge. While Bruce seems to be trying to help his wife get her memories back, there is a sinister side that Cross adds to the character, making it unclear if his motives are in Ellie’s best interest or not. While there are moments in which viewers might empathize with this character, others will find the character’s actions quite suspect. Young Julianna Layne (Kinda Pregnant, Chicago P.D.) plays Ellie and Bruce’s daughter, Alice. Layne is the heart of the film, portraying Alice as a sweet child wanting nothing more than to help her mommy remember. Together, these three actors make for a dysfunctional family unit hiding secrets from one another.

When Affection first begins, it’s not immediately recognizable as a sci-fi film. The story is set at a rural farmhouse surrounded by lush green forest. The isolated setting is likely partly a budgetary consideration, but it also is important to the plot. Ellie has been brought to this place by Bruce supposedly because being away from the city and other people will help her to remember her family. The more high tech elements are gradually brought in as the story moves forward and more is revealed. At first the technology is rather simple, consisting of computer setups and eye-catching lighting choices. Then it turns into something far more futuristic with large machines doing mysterious work with plenty of slimy and goopy practical effects. By keeping the visuals and technology more understated, the performances are allowed to shine.

Affection presents a compelling moral quandary through an understated, sci-fi lens. While the film could have gone much deeper not only into the unique technology presented, but also the themes of individual humanity, it still proves to be a strong feature-film debut for Meza. There is an intriguing mystery at the heart of the film with certain aspects that might be easy to guess at, while other aspects will be quite surprising. Rothe gives a killer performance as Ellie along with Cross and Layne rounding out this dysfunctional family unit. It’s the kind of sci-fi film that doesn’t feel like it’s too far into the future, making it feel even more real and disturbing. Affection will be available in select theaters on Friday, May 8th.

OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10