Splice

The friend I saw Splice with decided the moments the ending credits rolled that she didn't like this movie. I could understand her reaction. Splice isn't a pleasant film. At times, it was difficult to watch.  Filled with disturbing, unsettling scenes that stick with you for a while. What we have here is a film that affected its audience in the manner it had intended. So, what we have here is a good movie.



Spice is the story of two scientists who are in a romantic relationship. Adrian Brody is Clive and Sarah Polley is Elsa. The two have figured out a way to splice DNA from different species to create an entirely new species. With this technology, they create Fred and Ginger, two fleshy, blob-like creatures. They hope to use these creatures to isolate a protein that could help make healthier livestock. This is exactly what the pharmaceutical company that is funding them wants them to do. But now that they know what they can do, they want to take their discovery a step further and use human DNA. But what of the moral and ethical implications, they are asked. Clive and Elsa respond that they see nothing unethical about saving lives and curing diseases. Still, their patrons say no. SO, at least partially out of scientific curiosity, they secretly do it anyway. With human DNA they splice with the DNA of several other species, they create something entirely new and name her Dren. Nerd spelled backwards.

We watch as Dren ages and constantly changes. She becomes more and more human - physically anyway. As they protect and raise Dren, they become sort of parents and all those moral and ethical implications that they dismissed as "bumper sticker logic" absorb their lives. This film is definitely more about Elsa and Clive than the creature they create, but I still wondered about Dren. How much did she understand on a human level versus an animal level?

Splice is a science fiction horror film. While it isn't scary, it is horrifying. It's also thought-provoking. It's the kind of film people have discussions about. So many issues are brought up. Where is the line between human and animal? The ethics of science, the meaning of family, the meaning of evil. Even gender roles and human sexuality are brought up. While Splice is a monster movie, we are constantly questioning what makes someone or something a monster. Lines are questioned, pushed, and crossed.

The established acting pros Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley do not disappoint. Vincenzo Natali's direction is detailed and affective. Splice doesn't try to jump out at you and scare you, but instead to keep you unsettled and horrified. What impressed me most was the details. We get to know these people. Elsa's character was especially fleshed out. Even if we're disturbed by the actions of the characters, we still understand them.

Splice was impressive, but not perfect. We are presented with a character study in the form of a horror film much like Frankenstein. Unfortunately, the study isn't taken to completion. Instead, Natali stops short in exchange for a more typical scary movie ending. I would love to talk more about why I disapprove of the final act, but I'll have to wait until you all see it to write up a full discussion. And you are all going to see it like good little caffeinated movie-goers, right?