Is the age of traditional sci-fi horror back on the upswing? Well not quite yet.
Splice sees Director Vicenzo Natali returning to what he does best, psychological thrillers, this is easily Natali’s best work since cult film ‘The Cube’.
The film centres around the seemingly loving couple Clive and Elsa (Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley). A pair of scientists whose lab time is dedicated to creating hybrids using the DNA from animals for the common good.
As they become more fascinated by the results of their work Elsa’s thirst for knowledge goes unquenched and she wants to play God.
As Clive and Elsa’s relationship begins to strain, so does their work.
Experimenting with splicing human and animal DNA results in Dren, a leathery looking mutant hermaphrodite who seems harmless enough but as we soon come to realize, that just isn’t the case.
As Dren rapidly matures Elsa’s maternal instincts take over and the bond between the two is driving a wedge between herself and Clive.
The true horror of the film begins with jolting scares and macabre scenes of changing family dynamics that even Freud would question.
Splice has films such as The Fly and The Bride of Frankenstein to thank for its own twisted creation.
Although the film becomes slightly removed from itself it is the acting from Brody and Polley that keep it serious and most importantly, intriguing for the viewer.
The ideas that Natali puts to us on screen aren’t well executed, but what is provided is the true sense of horror in a truly engaging film which is something that has faded in recent years with more and more horror films providing us with nothing but empty promises.