I knew nothing about The A-Frame before finding it in a “far-out sci-fi” category on Tubi. I watched the trailer and it was okay, so I decided to roll the dice. Sci-fi horror is a favorite sub-genre of mine, so I’m always on the lookout. I’m usually disappointed, but sometimes I find a gem. Does The A-Frame disappoint, or is it one of those rare gems? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out! (or you could skip down to “The Final Cut” if you’re not into reading much) Let’s get into it, shall we?
Donna has hand cancer. Well, not hand cancer, but bone cancer in her hand. She has resigned herself to losing said hand since the cancer is untreatable and may spread if not removed. Sam approaches her at the hospital and seems to know all of her private health information. He claims to have invented a device that will eliminate the cancer in her hand instantly. She is skeptical, but she’s already trying alternative healing with crystals so what could it hurt to give him a shot? She goes to his high-tech lab in a desolate industrial zone and mentally pushes past the myriad red flags she’s detecting to allow him to do his experiment on her. When it succeeds and she is found cancer-free immediately afterward, she wants to share the miracle with other cancer patients. Sam wants to scale up from testing the forearm-sized machine she used to curing somebody with systemic cancer in his huge A-frame (that’s the name of the movie!) model with the entry and exit space 17.5 miles apart. Sam and Donna invite Rishi (in stage 5) to try it. Will the particle disintegrating/reassembling portal work without a hitch and cure Rishi’s cancer, or will the whole situation turn into a Conenbergian nightmare?
I didn’t use the adjective “Cronenbergian” by accident in the previous sentence. The A-Frame shares several similarities to Cronenberg’s The Fly. It definitely wears its influence on its sleeve in that respect. That may be a bit of a spoiler but the cover art/poster gives that away anyway so I don’t feel bad. The portal/teleporter/quantum thing is very similar to the pod in The Fly. In fact, Sam even says that Rishi cannot go in with anything else or they will fuse. And what comes out the other end is VERY end-stage Brundlefly. (again, not a spoiler because it’s on the poster) When things go south, Donna reacts appropriately, hating and blaming Sam for the disaster. After that, the pacing gets a little wonky with a couple of time jumps. But, that’s a pretty minor quibble. As is the uneven acting. That is to be expected with low budget films. Overall, it’s a loving homage to a great film with a fresh spin in the form of the antagonist. It provides some scares, some goopy gore, and a creepy character. Having the “genius” tech dude fucking things up is especially relevant in these times of “move fast and break things” and “disrupt everything”.
The Final Cut: The A-Frame is a worthy homage to Cronenberg’s The Fly. Despite some minor low-budget hiccups, it effectively delivers the sci-fi horror chills.
