If the trailer for the new Kiwi horror film 'Grafted' is anything to go by, you might be watching this one through the gaps of your fingers!
The creepy coming-of-age story kicks off with a "brilliant but disfigured" Chinese scholarship student (Wei) who is given the cold shoulder by her classmates at an NZ University.
Desperate for popularity, she decides to put her science skills to a "terrifying new use".
And if you're still on the fence about watching the trailer - just know that her plan involves taking a scalpel to her own face. I'm squirming just writing that.
"People always ask if I burnt myself," Wei says as we see a glimpse of a mark on her cheek.
Wei reveals to one of her teachers that her father was a scientist before he died and she's now taken up his work, diving into research on skin grafting herself.
"I will mend myself and you will be so proud of me," Wei says to her father.
Honestly, I had to rope in a coworker to watch it with me 'cause, honestly, I wasn't keen on braving it on my own. Even at midday on a Thursday, it gave us the chills.
The film was shot all around Tamaki Makaurau, with rising star Joyena Sun playing the lead, alongside Jess Hong, Eden Hart, and Jared Turner's fresh talent.
What makes 'Grafted' different is the personal touch from one of its creators, Hweiling Ow.
She revealed she took from her own experiences as an Asian immigrant while writing the flick.
Ow sees 'Grafted' as "a way to explore important themes like privilege, race, sex, and cultural alienation."
'Grafted' is set to release to cinemas around the motu on September 12th.
