Appendage Review: Giving A New Meaning to Self Care

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Hulu’s latest horror film acquisition, Appendage, takes on a specific aspect of the human experience in an incredibly unique way that is somehow gross and kind of beautiful. I know that is confusing but follow me on this one. Because I promise it will make sense by the end of this review.

Hannah is an anxiety-ridden, ambitious fashion designer who’s seemingly striving for perfection in her personal and professional life. But when her body starts changing, things take a turn for the strange and unimaginable leaving her with only two options: accept the change or fight it.

Hannah’s entire being in the first act is essentially a picture of all the worst aspects of anxiety. The self-doubt, the body picking, the brain fog when talking to friends, the overanalyzing and overthinking are all hallmarks of the illness and far too familiar for viewers making for a strong establishing baseline of where we find her at the beginning of her story.

The way that it’s depicted makes for a grounded, intense, and at times uncomfortable way through a mixture of sound and editing is extremely effective in making viewers feel what Hannah’s going through. Her appendage becomes a truly frightening, horrific sight as things begin to spiral in the aftermath of taking Claudia’s terrible advice.

It’s like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers type deal as the appendages become their hosts, according to Claudia’s appendage’s plan. It’s a solid twist that leads to some interestingly comedic moments as the appendage tries to “assimilate” into Hannah’s life.  

Some of the monster effects take away from what could really be a great movie as any time the early stage appendages lean more towards the ’60s and ’70s creature feature-esque quality that takes you out of the story.

But thankfully the central theme doesn’t get lost in it as the third act brings it home, as Hannah must come to terms with the duality of her life, with the anxiety and depression while finding new coping mechanisms to work through it all.

I love how well you can see that growth in the moments with her parents. From pleading with her mother to see her to the final scene helping them move out of her childhood home is simply wonderful. To see her become more assertive about what she needs from those around her and clearly setting those boundaries is a terrific way to round out her arc.

Paired with the final shot of her dealing with her appendage with care is a haunting but great reminder that these feelings and thoughts don’t leave just disappear. It takes a lot of effort, empathy, and gentleness with yourself to make it work.

Hadley Robinson does an excellent job playing both sides of Hannah and Emily Hampshire as Claudia is deliciously evil.

Meanwhile, Desmin Borges as an intimidating fashion designer, Cristean Ullman is perfect. The way he brings out the absolute worst aspects of a power-hungry boss like Cristean is impressive and entertaining. Though sometimes it feels like it borders on caricature when he hands out ruthless critiques, it’s still fun to watch him take the character to that extreme.

Though not a perfect film, Appendage is a solidly entertaining watch for the spooky season with a surprisingly relatable emotional core.

Random Thoughts

• When Hannah has a moment of honesty with her parents, it’s heartbreaking to see the way her mother can’t even find it in herself to empathize with her daughter’s plight. It’s an unexpected emotional moment and it’s played well.

What did you think of Appendage? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Appendage is available to stream on Hulu.

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