Day 16: Splice (2009)

I hadn't really heard/seen much about this film, but as nothing new came out today, there wasn't much choice, and I'm always keen on Canadian films (even if they are co-productions). Had I realized it was directed by Vincenzo Natali, the director of the awesome Canadian cult film Cube, I might have been more inclined to see it. Regardless, I saw it either way.

Premise of the film is rather basic. Two uber-smart scientists find a way to splice genes from different animals together to create a new lifeform which contains miracle compounds that will cure health problems. They want to take it one step further by splicing in human DNA, but they are told to shut down the project. They, of course, do not listen and a new creature is born, which they raise in secrecy. The vast majority of the film concerns these two scientists, Clive and Elsa (bonus points to anyone who knows where their names come from), as they create and raise Dren, the new lifeform. There is hardly any horror elements in the film at all. While they try at various times to include some horroresque moments, they pass quickly without much shock value. The third act feels forced, unexplained, and just falls apart by altering the pace and mood of the film. It feels like the film needed an ending and they just took the easiest, rather ridiculous, path; all the while leaving room for a sequel of course.

I was not sure what to expect when I sat down, and I did not leave disappointed. I enjoyed myself, but the film could have done a lot more with the idea, and the story feels improperly finished. This is not a film that will leave a mark on the scifi genre.