Grafted (film)

Lore & Background

The film's story was created by Hweiling Ow after being awarded the Women's Short Horror Film Fund in Melbourne in 2018. Ow said she thought about being a migrant in New Zealand and what it would be like to live in someone else's life. Around the same time, Sasha Rainbow had been working in Los Angeles on a script exploring similar themes and was sent Ow's script; she read it once and found it interesting, original, fresh, and exciting. The film marks Rainbow's feature directorial debut. It was primarily shot in Auckland, New Zealand in mid-2023.

Reader's Guide

Grafted premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival on 9 August 2024 and was released in New Zealand on 12 September 2024. It was produced by Murray Francis of Propaganda and Leela Menon of FluroBlack, financed by the New Zealand Film Commission among others. On Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. Metacritic assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. Phil Hoad of The Guardian gave the film three out of five, noting its multicultural set of Face/Off-style masquerades could be commentary on what immigrants have to do to fit in. Katie Rife of RogerEbert.com scored it two and a half out of five, comparing it to The Substance (2024). Shudder acquired North American, UK, and Ireland distribution rights, and it began streaming on 24 January 2025.

Did You Know?

• The film was created by Hweiling Ow after she was awarded the Women's Short Horror Film Fund in Melbourne in 2018.
• Grafted marks Sasha Rainbow's feature directorial debut.
• Shudder acquired North American, UK, and Ireland distribution rights, streaming from 24 January 2025.

Origin & Development

The story of Grafted traces back to 2018, when writer Hweiling Ow was awarded the Women's Short Horror Film Fund in Melbourne. Ow has spoken about how the concept grew from her personal experience as a migrant living in New Zealand, wondering what it would feel like to inhabit someone else's life—experiencing their privilege, empowerment, and politics in a foreign country. Around that same period, director Sasha Rainbow was developing a script in Los Angeles that explored similar themes. When Rainbow received Ow's script, she read it in one sitting and described it as compelling, fresh, and genuinely exciting, promptly writing back to express her interest. The project ultimately became a collaborative writing effort involving Ow, Mia Maramara, Lee Murray, and Rainbow herself. For Rainbow, Grafted marked her feature directorial debut, representing a significant milestone in her career. The film's genesis as a personal exploration of migrant identity and belonging gave it a distinctive emotional core that shaped every subsequent creative decision in the production.

Plot & Thematic Core

At its center, Grafted follows Wei, an awkward but brilliant Chinese student who arrives in New Zealand on a scholarship to study medical research. She is the only daughter of Liu, a single father who worked in medical research in China, and both carry a visible congenital defect on their face and neck. Her father spent his life developing a serum for instant skin tissue regeneration, using himself as a test subject before dying when his skin grew uncontrollably. Wei inherits his incomplete notes and, under the guidance of chemistry professor Paul, attempts to finish his work. The narrative escalates when Wei's cousin Angie, a social climber surrounded by mean-girl friends, becomes hostile, ultimately destroying a shrine Wei built for her father. In a desperate act of self-defense and rage, Wei kills Angie and uses the perfected serum to graft Angie's face onto her own body. What follows is a spiraling descent through identity theft, murder, and retribution as Wei assumes new faces to survive, expose Paul's academic theft, and ultimately confront him with the very flawed serum that killed her father. The film blends coming-of-age drama with visceral body horror, exploring themes of displacement, belonging, and the violence of being unseen.

Production & Creative Team

Grafted was produced by Murray Francis of Propaganda and Leela Menon of FluroBlack, with financing from the New Zealand Film Commission among other backers. Principal photography took place primarily in Auckland, New Zealand, during mid-2023. The film's cast includes Joyena Sun in the lead role of Wei, alongside Jess Hong, Eden Hart, Jared Turner, and Sepi Toa. Joyena Sun portrays the awkward but brilliant Chinese student at the heart of the story, while the supporting ensemble brings to life the social dynamics of Wei's new environment—from the hostile cousin Angie to the empathetic homeless man John who becomes her sole comfort. The production brought together a distinctly New Zealand creative team, with the writing credit shared among Mia Maramara, Hweiling Ow, Lee Murray, and director Sasha Rainbow. For Rainbow, helming Grafted represented her first feature-length directorial effort, transitioning from her earlier work in development and writing. The film's production values and collaborative writing process reflect a deeply personal, locally rooted approach to the body horror genre.

Release & Critical Reception

Grafted made its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival on 9 August 2024, before opening in New Zealand cinemas on 12 September 2024. The film then expanded to Australian audiences on 21 November 2024, distributed by (Yet) Another Monster Company. International distribution was handled by Mister Smith Entertainment, which picked up sales in other territories back in April 2023. Shudder acquired rights for North America, the UK, and Ireland, with the film beginning to stream on the platform on 24 January 2025. Critically, Grafted earned a 77 percent positive score from 31 critics on Rotten Tomatoes, averaging 6.4 out of 10. Metacritic assigned it a weighted score of 62 out of 100 based on six critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. Phil Hoad of The Guardian awarded the film three out of five stars, noting its distinct thematic approach. The reception positioned Grafted as a well-regarded entry in the body horror space, praised for its originality and emotional depth while acknowledging its unconventional narrative structure.

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