Interitus Adfectus is about a graduate student named Mary Starlet, depicted by Ella Clover, who attempts to create a new type of culinary mushroom. Bad things happen. It was written by Joey Povinelli and directed by Joey Povinelli and Ella Clover.

The performances were decent. I have such an appreciation for Ella Clover‘s performance. She went all out. This did prove to be a double-edged sword. Sometimes she went too big when I think it would have benefited the overall experience for her to dial it back a little, but otherwise, she was impressive. There were three characters, and two were so minor they aren’t worth judging. Mary, as a character, is ok. The way things flowed it was less like we were witnessing an evolution and more like we were witnessing an unveiling. The only relationship was between Mary and her friend Gloria. I think their friendship was well-defined in the short time it was explored. The dialogue was okay, but it was not without its problems. There was dialogue that seemed shocking for the sake of being shocking, and it didn’t feel natural. It did merit a response, but I don’t think it fit well because it wasn’t supported enough by the story. It truly felt like a reach to me despite the insanity of it all.

The atmosphere was great. The use of lighting to create atmosphere and coax certain moods was effective. I like the way Mary’s home reflected her journey. Interitus Adfectus was weird, it was shocking, but perhaps most praiseworthy, it did create genuine suspense. The effects were all practical. They weren’t realistic, but then again, who’s to say what a mushroom that has never existed before looks like? They cleverly mixed the prop mushrooms with real mushrooms and potentially other edible items when warranted. One thing I question is the way the camera portrayed Gloria when she was introduced. The way she was filmed is usually done to elicit discomfort, but there was no reason for the audience to have that reaction to her. I feel like it did hamper her introduction. It was another moment that seemed odd for the sake of it. I think a more grounded approach during this scene would have made things more effective later on.

Interitus Adfectus was ok. It had a lot of strengths, but those strengths were often its weaknesses. For the most part, I do consider it a successful and entertaining venture. I can appreciate more musty, humid, nasty, psychedelic horror in the vein of Motivational Growth or Hotel Poseidon. Make it a thing. We’ll call it Bog-Core.