Splice

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan

I love a good monster movie. This is a good monster movie.

I also love all of Vincenzo Natali's work (Cube, Cypher, Nothing and my favourite segment in Paris, je t'aime). Go and watch all his films now. I'll wait...

Cool huh?

I think expectations have a big part to play in your enjoyment of this film. If you are expecting a moral drama and character study kind of film you'll likely be disappointed that the premise ends so b-movie. If you are expecting a b-grade monster movie you might get annoyed at the slow development of character and all the time spent on the drama. It sits comfortably somewhere between the two, The premise and structure is that of good old fashioned creature feature but the acting and drama and characters development is well above the level one is usually accustomed too in such a film.

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are our renegade rock star scientists.They are both great. Sarah Polley was a bit of a hero in my youth because she starred in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, a film that was on constant rotation in our household growing up. It is the most unusual dysfunctional family melodrama that plays out between them and their creation.

Delphine Chanéac also must be mentioned, playing the creature Dren in the later stages of the film. The combination of digital trickery and her performance bring this character to life in a scarily believable way. Dren's character is just as complex and emotive as her two human counterparts so it is a testament to all involved.

We all know Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters so it's no surprise to find him involved as a producer. But even he admits he would never go as far as they do in this film. Things get pretty damn screwed up as emotions become confused and the boundaries of the relationships are pushed into new and horrific territory.

It's not my favourite of Natali's films but it is a great achievement for a low budget independent horror film.