Cut to the chase: With some solid performances, seamless special effects, and a few cool and disturbing surprises up its sleeve, Splice capitalizes on an intriguing premise and carves out its own place beyond your conventional horror/sci-fi film.Good horror science-fiction tales are somewhat of a tough nut to crack. Similar to the beaten-to-death romantic comedy genre, horror films often stick far too close to a set formula that will guarantee nothing more than a strong box office return. There’s usually a group of ambitious but naïve scientists or explorers. They’ll inevitably come across some weird monster. Along the way, lines are crossed and blood may be shed. The government will probably intervene. But by the end, the monster is ultimately defeated and the survivors of the ordeal learn a moral lesson.Splice, directed by Vincenzo Natali (who also made the underrated Cube), follows this horror/sci-fi film formula for the most part. However, it injects enough unique ideas and surprises along the way to differentiate itself from the mainstream sea of horror mediocrity.
The film centers around Clive (Adrian Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) – two young scientists on the cutting edge of DNA-splicing experiments for the betterment of science and society. Incidentally, they are also a couple on the verge of finding the next level of their own relationship. After the financial big brass funding their research cut off their experiments, Clive and Elsa secretly begin experimenting with human DNA splicing. What results is Dren – a hybrid human/amphibian thing that ages at an accelerated pace. While Dren grows up as Clive and Elsa’s adopted mutant creature from infancy through puberty, her presence shakes the very moral, parental, and sexual foundations of both parents.
Certain parts of Splice may strike an uncomfortable chord with some people. For the most part, the ethical issues presented in the film are nothing to write home about. Instead, the pivotal elements of this story center on the familial and sexual issues. As much as Clive and Elsa may want a child of their own, they don't have one. So when Dren enters the picture, Elsa finally gets a daughter she’s so longed for. In many ways, Splice takes its intriguing premise and centers its meditation on domestic (un)bliss around the Oedipus/Electra complex. Essentially, the Oedipus complex theorizes a son’s desire to possess the mother and kill the father. Similarly, the Electra complex is the daughter’s desire to love the father and eliminate the mother. Why are both of these psychological theories relevant? Ah, therein lies the rub.
But for all the potentially divisive elements of the film, Splice cannot be faulted for attempting to push the horror/sci-fi storytelling boundaries, especially given the current dearth of fresh, original ideas. Like any story worth telling, Splice centers on Clive and Elsa and not only their professional goals, but also their personal desires. At the core of this horror film lies a very human, albeit slightly disturbing, meditation on the future of science and family. If along the way, the film can throw in some cool special effects and novel ideas, it deserves to be appreciated.
If you’re unsure about this film, let me just say that Splice offers much more originality, intrigue, and shock than most B-list monster flicks. In fact, given the current state of this mediocre summer movie season, Splice could be the most overlooked film out there and simultaneously, one of the best summer movies released thus far.
