Tubi FrightFest Critique – Electric Meat (2026)

      Electric Meat, 2026.

      Written and Directed by Dan Schaffer.

      Featuring Caspian Faye, Emily Booth, Nina Coulson, Jasmine Sumner, and Sylvia Soska.

      SYNOPSIS:

      The reality of a photographer begins to disintegrate when he adopts a murdered model as his muse.

      A truly unique creation, Electric Meat evokes a stark psychosexual nightmare through expressionistic tones. Artfully crafted, the film offers an imaginative perspective on the creative drive. It incorporates elements reminiscent of Lynch’s industrial themes, characterized by piercing mechanical sounds and unsettling posters that expose the grim realities of the modeling industry. When these intense scenes transition to moments of serene calm, the tranquility is fleeting, establishing the film as a tense experience. It leans more towards an artistic movement than a conventional horror film. The horror here is palpable, seen through an expressionistic lens with surreal undertones. Characters such as the model who oscillates between life and death (Nina Coulson), the photographer (Caspian Faye) who cannot satisfy his desires merely through images, and the former model landlady (Emily Booth) seeking another chance at success, all participate in a choreographed expression of sorrow interspersed with gore.

      Written and directed by Dan Schaffer, the film centers on Caspian Faye’s photographer, who also works as a butcher. His life descends into chaos when he stumbles upon the corpse of one of his past models. Shocked yet fascinated by the prospect of incorporating her body into his art, he becomes fixated on the potential it holds. As he contemplates this idea and ultimately decides to keep her body in his studio, the model begins to oscillate between the realms of life and death. This concept is structured like a ‘Schrödinger’s Cat’ scenario, where the act of posing the model and capturing photographs represents one state, while a living and unpredictable specter represents the other. The butcher grows increasingly fearful and uncertain about his actions. As the tension escalates, the butcher’s landlady (Emily Booth) becomes involved in the unusual situation. Her engagement with the butcher’s work brings an additional peril for him to manage.

      Electric Meat is undeniably a far-out film. Its experimental style is refreshing and should resonate well with festival audiences. It’s challenging to categorize it strictly as a ‘movie’ since it leans towards being an arthouse experimental work. However, if you're in search of an unusual experience that delves into themes of obsession and paranoia, with vivid episodes of stark fear and unease, this film deserves your attention.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert W Monk