Trailer for AFFECTION Sees Jessica Rothe Get Trapped in a Twisted Time Loop Nightmare
If you’re into mind-bending horror that messes with memory, identity, and reality itself, there’s a new indie film headed your way that looks seriously unsettling.
A trailer has arrived for Affection, a sci-fi psychological horror film starring Jessica Rothe, and it teases a reality that keeps resetting in ways that feel both terrifying and personal.
The film comes from filmmaker BT Meza, who is making his feature directorial debut after working on short films. And based on what this first look delivers, he’s swinging big with a concept that blends time loops, trauma, and body horror into something that feels disorienting in the best way.
The story centers on Ellie Carter, played by Rothe, who wakes up in a life she doesn’t recognize. The man claiming to be her husband is a stranger. A young girl insists she’s her daughter. None of it sticks.
Ellie is dealing with violent seizures that wipe her memory clean without warning, forcing her to relive fragments of a life she can’t piece together.
As the resets keep coming, she starts to realize something is very wrong. The deeper she digs, the more disturbing the truth becomes. And the clock is always ticking before everything disappears again.
The concept is enough to hook genre fans, but the trailer leans hard into eerie imagery and fragmented storytelling. It throws out just enough clues to keep you guessing while making it clear that Ellie’s reality is breaking down in ways she may not be able to escape.
Alongside Rothe, the film also stars Joseph Cross and Julianna Layne, rounding out a cast that seems locked into this strange, looping existence with her.
Early reactions from its festival run have been solid, with critics noting that it “is steeped in existential questions and fears that plague modern society, while it embraces the ethos of the ’80s through body horror.”
That blend of introspective sci-fi and visceral horror gives Affection a unique edge, especially for fans who like their scares layered with deeper themes.
The film made its debut at the 2025 Screamfest Horror Film Festival and continued its run through genre favorites like Brooklyn Horror, Trieste Science+Fiction, Night Visions, and the Overlook Film Festival. Now it’s gearing up for a wider audience.
Affection will hit select U.S. theaters on May 8, 2026, courtesy of Brainstorm Media.