Depraved

Heralded genre-bender Larry Fessenden returns with his brilliant reimagining of the Frankenstein myth (shot on the 200th anniversary of the novel’s publication) in which a PTSD-riddled field surgeon deep in the heart of Brooklyn decides to reconstruct an unsuspecting man out of spare body parts. A film of beauty, both creatively and performed, Depraved is anything but what the title suggests. This is an incredibly thoughtful, original horror parable with a strong sense of morality and unwavering compassion that is rare these days and which truly presents a special moment in the lineage of a beloved movie monster, as Fessenden may have crafted the best take on Frankenstein since Mary Shelley herself. (Popcorn Frights Film Festival)