Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient suffering from an extreme personality disorder. But it leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape a horrific fate. A film by Joe Lynch, starring Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davison, Johnathon Schaech, and Barbara Crampton.

A psychological horror film based on the short story “The Thing on the Doorstep” by H.P. Lovecraft, which was initially published in the January 1937 issue of Weird Tales.

Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine that was founded in late 1922 by J.C. Henneberger and J.M. Lansinger. The first editor, Edwin Baird, printed early work by H. P. Lovecraft, Seabury Quinn, and Clark Ashton Smith, all of whom went on to be popular writers.

Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham), a renowned psychiatrist who has a seemingly ideal existence with her doting husband Eddie, is surprised by a young guy who shows up at her clinic looking disturbed. Because he is an unexpected visitor, Elizabeth is hesitant to engage the young man in conversation. However, she agrees to speak with him after he claims to be a student at Miskatonic University and that he has read her book on out-of-body experiences and that it is occurring to him.

The young man introduces himself as Asa Waite (Judah Lewis), and he claims that his father wants his body and that his father has previously attempted to do so. Elizabeth initially suspects schizophrenia, but as they talk, Asa receives a call from his father and suffers a seizure.

After the seizure, Asa has entirely changed his behavior and is utterly unaware of what was recently said between them. Elizabeth, captivated by Asa’s symptoms, give her personal phone number along with her business card, urging him to contact her if he experiences any more unusual symptoms.

Elizabeth develops irrational thoughts and behaviors regarding Asa, including fantasies of them having sexual relations. The subsequent day, Elizabeth proceeds to pay a visit to Asa’s home, which is conveniently located near her office. She lets herself inside and explores the residence until she encounters Asa’s gravely ailing father Ephraim (Bruce Davison), whose survival is dependent on pills. After Elizabeth notices a mysterious notebook on his desk, he threatens her with a huge knife, accidentally slicing her hand. Frightened, Elizabeth abruptly leaves. The blood on the knife gets absorbed into the notebook when he places it on the pages.

Elizabeth tries to put Asa out of her mind by focusing on her regular clientele and her work. When Asa unexpectedly drops by her office, she asks him to wait outside while she finishes up a hypnosis session with a client. However, by the time she gets back, Asa is nowhere to be found. That evening, Elizabeth receives a phone call from Asa, who claims that his father is taking his body, so she hurries to Asa’s house, where she discovers Ephraim lying on the floor. As she tries to call 911, Asa grabs her phone and tosses it out the window. Asa tells her that Ephraim’s brain must be destroyed otherwise he will able to come back. Just as Asa is about to sever Ephraim’s head from his body, Ephraim clutches Asa’s neck and utters an incantation which allows him to switch bodies with Asa.

Ephraim and Asa both have an episode of convulsions simultaneously. Shortly after that, Ephraim appears dead, and Asa has completely changed his personality. Asa’s supposed split personalities have Elizabeth worried, so she offers to help. They instantly develop romantic feelings for one another. During their sexual encounter, Asa speaks an incantation into her ear, causing them to temporarily exchange bodies before both of them have a seizure and switch back.

Confused and traumatized at what just happened, Elizabeth flees the premises and seeks counsel from her best friend Dr. Daniella Upton (Barbara Crampton). However, Daniella is baffled by Elizabeth’s account of body switching, dismissing it as a fantastical figment of Elizabeth’s guilt over her attraction to her patient. Elizabeth is completely oblivious to the fact that Asa’s sinister plot to take control of her body has already begun to take shape.

H.P. Lovecraft’s stories fascinate me with their bizarre, cosmic terror, however, I recognize that they are not for everyone. When the evil entity that transfers its soul from one body to the next without explanation or actual purpose appears on screen, the film becomes much more entertaining.

Judah Lewis and Heather Graham both deliver outstanding performances. The film features one of the most ingenious and memorable kills, using the rear backup camera and camera placement inside the car, to create a truly visceral moment.

While the film’s core narrative remains compelling, certain elements hinder the film from achieving its full potential. The underdeveloped subplot and occasionally jarring dialogues detract from the overall impact of the film. These distracting elements could have benefited from further refinement, as they appear outdated in comparison to the film’s modern aesthetic.

Suitable Flesh premiered at Tribeca Festival on 11 June 2023. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 27 October, by RLJE Films, and was released digitally on the same day. It is scheduled for streaming on Shudder in January 2024.