Abhorrent alternative ailment accommodations attract an altercation among the alienated and the analytical assessing added annotations of an accelerated, agonizingly aching afflicted appendage and arguments of amputation are afoot.

Fleas 2: Home Remedies is a found footage, short film that was written, directed, and edited by Evan Jacobs. It’s about a man suffering from a severe foot injury with gruesomely vivid body horror to emphasize the severity of the situation.

Quinton Lester (Mike Hartsfield) is a self-righteous, paranoid conspiracy theorist who thinks he knows better than everyone because he’s well-read. His friend Bob (Evan Jacobs) is the voice of reason pleading with his friend to go seek professional medical care. Both men are convincing in their roles. They both feel like real people because I’ve known people like them sitting on opposite ends of the spectrum within reason, of course.

Quinton represents the skeptical, misinformed know it all. Sadly, far too many people nowadays think they know better than medical professionals because of conflicting information available online. Bob represents those who consider the possibilities, picking the best option suitable to his needs. Neither is a mindless sheep that just goes along with whatever the media pumps out. The biggest discrepancy between them is their attitude about where the best source of information is to obtain your knowledge.

Quinton is so anti-establishment he doesn’t trust the government or medical system. He’s so extreme he pays cash for everything because he doesn’t want the government to know his whereabouts. Bob is an analytical guy questioning his friend’s reasoning for the sake of his well-being. Some of the most interesting parts are the conversations between the two friends.

The first 20 minutes are solely about this guy’s self-operation to correct the issue while his friend films it. The practical effects done by Issac Golub are intensely visceral so I give him credit for that. It never looks fake. I appreciate gore with a purpose like plot progression rather than mindless bloodshed. The problem is there’s no plot just two guys arguing about whether or not they should go to the doctor.

This leads to Quinton expressing his desire to attempt to saw his foot off by hand. The friends continue to argue about the most logical course of action. Presenting the conversation as an argument is a clever way to show conflicting viewpoints without pandering to the audience with a preachy ham-fisted message. It’s a great way to concisely examine each side more naturally.

Overall, Fleas 2: Home Remedies is an unnerving experience, presumably on purpose to show off the impressively gruesome gore effects. It’s uncomfortable to watch and I love my gore so that says something. I don’t get squeamish with movie gore due to personal experience but this got to me. Instances involving fingernails and toenails are especially unsettling for me and this expressly focuses on that.

It doesn’t rely on it though, providing social commentary about trusting sources of information, the government, and health care system gives it substance. I recommend this for more hardcore horror fans, the squeamish have been warned. And remember, you really don’t know what you don’t know so just put your best foot forward.

6 out of 10