Film Review: Splice

In a sort of modern day take on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Splice sees two geneticists Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley) employed by a mega-corp splicing different animal DNA to create entirely new species. Weirdly, their successful first cross-breed bares great resemblance to a certain male sex organ. The goal is to be able to extract a strand of protein which can be used to treat all manner of illnesses. When the board of directors (represented, to my great delight, by David Hewlett, Rodney McKay in Stargate) that fund the research demand a big win to keep stockholders happy, Elsa takes the bold and potentially hazardous step of throwing human DNA into the mix, creating 'Dren'.

Ostensibly Dren's parents, the two biochemists struggle over how to treat her; as a scientific experiment or to emotionally nurture and love her. Splice is an unsettling film which gives one great big nod to Freudian psychoanalytical theory, hitting every note until the plot becomes almost predictable. From the 'Electra complex' narrative to the 'mirror stage' of child development and childhood trauma, Splice ticks all the boxes. All this comes to an unnerving crescendo when Clive, Elsa and Dren all lose control and submit to their impulses.

Performance wise Brody is great as usual, shining in these low budget indie films as he typically does. Polley is also convincing as the troubled scientist-come-mother as both characters create enough empathy to care about them as they descend into madness. Far from proving heroic figures, both characters are archetypes; Clive the more practical of the two and embodying manliness and Polley 'damaged goods', whose own unspeakable past reflects on her mothering of Dren. Delphine Chaneac who plays adult Dren, despite having virtually no talking parts whatsoever, manages to form an emotional connection with the audience without becoming ridiculous, even whilst looking like Patrick Stewart.

Splice is a decent movie with solid ideas arranged in all the right places, but it feels like it's missing something. Unfortunately the plot is largely predictable and the climax becomes disjointed from the first three-quarters of the film as it degenerates into a stereotypically cheesy horror affair. However, it is incredibly creepy and certainly is an acquired taste.