Splice (2009)

A humanoid with caretakers from hell

This type of story has no doubt been done before where someone, usually raving mad, messes with science for personal reasons by stepping under the red tape and avoiding public consensus. To think someone could do this right under people's noses brings out fear from assuming things are in control and order behind the scenes. Though this Canadian production from the director of "Cube" and "Cypher" attempts to take more of a drama angle in the way events slowly pack on more weight until the thin house of cards it was using as a structure to begin with not surprisingly starts to topple over.

These type of tales never go the way they're supposed to or have rainbows after the thunderstorms but I guess that's the message: evolution has a natural process and when jumping too far ahead our ability to contain it is never matched by the strength of our ambition from the outset. It's supposed to be a downward spiral of events as it's an idea that doesn't work from the start. It's obvious to everyone but the characters. By the time they realize it themselves, the audience has already been there and back again, which can come with some predictibility. Going with that, the film isn't always thrilling or exciting for that matter but more of a learning lesson on both sides of the screen: a long winded and gradual one to show their missteps and let the audience decide where their own morals lay. Entertainment value wise, this is more of an eye opener than an amusing theatrical experience that would lend feeling to our surface senses like the typical high budget summer flick.


A lab combined DNA from a variety of species to create a new organism. They're on their way to tweak with humans and create a cure for all kinds of diseases, when the pharmaceutical company they work for dodges public scorn before it becomes an issue and instead wants to use their research for a lesser means with a livestock protein. The lead biochemists, Elsa and Clive, who are also a couple outside of work, want to put the question to rest while they have the means and do their own private experiment with female human DNA combined with other species. From what looks a fluke, turns out to be a rapidly evolving species of its own kind. With risk of being found out, they have to hide the growing being, now known as Dren, but only keep on having complications along the way that can not only jeopardize their careers but their personal lives.

This isn't a horror or thriller, except for the final 10 minutes when the double helix's really hit the fan. For the majority, this plays out as a drama/science fiction story where the new organism puts up a divide between their relationship as a couple as well as their job that comes with a few hitches as a result of their growing distraction. Some transitions aren't always shown or explained, such as why they end up switching roles, from cold and distant to caring and understanding, to the other taking on the reversed traits as more time goes on. Yet, there are massive screw ups on both their parts as neither one has the strength to fully stop it despite many opportunities. This goes through different stages as the scientists discover something that has never been done before: enthusiasm, moral choices, sympathy, curiosity, frustration to true horror. The level of misunderstanding and mistreatment by the time it closes is going to make a few uneasy to say the least.


"Splice" doesn't always step out of the initial concept stage. The characters are posed with a problem and impulsively jump right into a solution for lack of better reasons or an end goal in sight despite being scientists for a living, having a career that took time and sacrifice, and then other employees to look after who have families and lives of their own. Selfish, not to mention incredibly short sighted for being supposedly analytical persons by trade? Should be a new word for it here. To make it more of an exceptional case these aren't normal individuals, but still, a share of the connectors that would make one suspend their disbelief are missing or glazed right over despite the gradual pacing. They work in a large corporation with millions of dollars on the line and easily slip through the cracks at first by working their highly illegal and unpredictable experiments in an adjacent room without security or superiors finding out. I mean, I've heard of trust, but this doesn't chime with the way the higher ups acted to begin with by shutting out their ideas like a typical corporation mentality but then at the same time completely letting them be in another sense.


There is supposed to be a hush-hush risk here but it doesn't always feel that way. Damaged equipment, no inventories conducted or janitorial employees and then the lead people going off on their own with little question for some time. There's the moral angle and the potential of such a thing being conceived but that doesn't always carry this along or is engrossing enough to keep the mind from wandering into other areas that don't line up. New abilities show up and some accidents happen with Dren but this mainly concentrates on Elsa and Clive and their reactions to it all. This has some revelations come out but the way the pacing moves along makes it lose its knock-me-over impact. This tries to cover up its inconsistencies with a line here and there pointing it out themselves but after a number of them happening, it makes it feel more like they're sweeping it under the rug with excuses in hopes you'll go along. Decent story, just requires the audience to compensate for too many areas of its outline.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Cypher, Nothing)
Stars: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac
Link: IMDB

The Experiment (2010)

The power hungry, the pacifist and the conformers

This is a film with a message about losing sight of what it means to be a civilized human being in modern times and if violence should equate into our decisions and motivations when interacting with each other. It goes beyond the usual white lab coat behavioral experiment when an elaborate scenario is created that takes a group of participants, who want to make a chunk of change, by simulating the conditions in a state penitentiary for those who've never been in to demonstrate if power would be abused.

After Travis (Adrien Brody) gets laid off from a nursing home, he protests a war and finds love. She wants to go to India, he doesn't have cash, so he spots an ad in the paper offering $1000 a day for an experiment. How hard could it be? Soon enough the participants fill out paperwork (easy), get individually interviewed (sounds fun), put through visual tests (not so great) and then sit through an orientation with a speedy talker (show me the money!). He makes it all sound so "safe" and "secure," expect a clue comes when he slips in that some subjects will be deprived of their civil rights. Get 'em to say yes a bunch of times and anybody making a pitch won't have any trouble dodging that no. Off they go.

They're brought to an isolated location and are to be locked in for two weeks by themselves with only cameras to watch. The test subjects are divided into two groups of guards and prisoners and given specific rules that they must follow or else nonviolent disciplinary action is to be given from the guards. If the guards don't follow accordingly a red light will be turned on in 30 minutes and the experiment will be terminated resulting in no one getting paid. Some focus on the money and block it out. Others can't handle the stress of dropping what pride, beliefs and creature comforts they had beforehand. And then there are those that take it a little too seriously either because this is their chance in life to be taken so or they actually enjoy taking advantage of others when granted the go-ahead from a higher authority. Soon enough the weaker start to fall in line and the stronger step out in an attempt to stand by their points. Two personalities collide on opposite sides with Travis (Adrien Brody) representing the prisoner's rights and Michael (Forest Whitaker) helming the guards with no-nonsense, totalitarian order.

Part of this was based on the real life Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971. However, there are some differences, as this attempts to show how it would have ended up if the head scientist wasn't directly involved in the decision making processes during the experiment, as well as it doesn't have him set a tone to guide a certain way. Results also happen within only a few days out from the start with here poor impulse control such as alcohol abuse, as well as gross humiliations, torture, attempted rape and a few of the guys might have been dictators in a past life with their penchant for well timed out speeches. Yeah, it's all going to seem exaggerated, not necessarily for what could be done, but how the specific scenes were set up as it didn't completely put the audience in their shoes and its believability starts to dwindle after more and more scenarios are stacked on.

It's strange to set this in modern times, as there are stricter ethical guidelines and background checks that would test for mental instability and diseases due to the original experiment. It made it seem like these trained professionals went out of their way to deceive and purposely show inaction to see results without actually explaining or showing why--by being kept completely in the dark, it almost makes them diabolical. Not to mention if there weren't several dominating personalities in guard positions (which seemed to be purposely put there)--or even prisoners who took it seriously at first, however you look at it--it's questionable whether this would have gone the same.

They didn't try and make this an exceptional case out of a bunch, but the only one tested apparently, which isn't enough to see if it was just a fluke. It seems over-elaborate to jeopardize their professional careers as there are now established rules in place; as well as for the sum of money they were giving out and the design of the facility to put all their eggs in one basket. It also only shows how a set of people temporarily put in authority positions will react in the heat of the moment resulting in their perspective being off to find a reasonable middle ground--rather than in a real and established prison system that would have a guideline in place from an extended period of trial and error.

The ending winded down a little too easily as they were well behaved going in, animalistic inside, then instantaneously regretful, so the filmmakers could quickly put the blame elsewhere for what the participants did. As a cinematic experience that goes for entertainment value alone, "The Experiment" has some particular areas where the actors shine, has a steady pacing that wasn't in one area for too long, and it still left room to think about some "what if?" questions even if it seemed to have somewhat of an agenda that leans towards a certain side at points. Though it's a movie where more of it seems fine at first as everything is happening so fast, but when the brain settles down afterwards too many questionable things occurred and it might make one's head spin more than inspire productive debate.

Rating: 3/10

Director: Paul Scheuring (producer/writer of "Prison Break")
Stars: Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Cam Gigandet
Link: IMDB