Science fiction is a fascinating genre. In something like horror or action, a good premise rarely justifies its execution. Science fiction is all about its ideas. Some films can introduce a compelling, inventive, and thought-provoking narrative invention and ride that creative success to the finish line. Vincenzo Natali was once one of the finest purveyors of stellar sci-fi ideas. His iconic early works gave way to something with far less renown. Splice is a film worth discussing, though audiences on its release date didn't feel that way.
High-concept science fiction often comes and goes. When an idea can be effectively summed up in a sentence or two, it walks a dangerous line. Some movies start with a simple premise and end with an absurd success story. Others begin from the same place, only to fall flat when it comes time to execute. Splice represents a somewhat rare case in which most viewers agree that the elevator pitch is very good, but the final product is a controversial mixed bag.
This Sci-Fi Remake Copies The Source Material Without Capturing Its Spirit
The 2021 Japanese take on Vincenzo Natali's 1997 cult classic Cube puts its focus on the wrong elements and delivers a weaker project.
What is Splice about?
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Director |
Vincenzo Natali |
|---|---|
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Screenplay |
Vincenzo Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor |
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Story |
Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant |
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Stars |
Sarah Polley, Adrien Brody, and Delphine Chanéac |
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Runtime |
104 minutes |
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Release Date |
October 6, 2009 |
Splice is a classic tale in the vein of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley star as a couple of successful geneticists, Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast. Their claim to fame involves combining animal DNA to create unique hybrids for medical testing purposes. Clive and Elsa secretly plan to create something new, a hybrid creature with human and animal DNA. Their efforts birthed Dren, a female humanoid organism with elements of several animals. Though Clive wants to terminate Dren before she develops, Elsa convinces him to leave their creation alive. This starts a grim path toward divided opinions on the artificial being. While Clive views Dren as a miraculous experimental success, Elsa begins to develop a motherly bond with her creation. Here, the view of the mad scientist archetype undergoes an unusual shift. Frankenstein's absent father gives way to a doting mother. As Dren ages into a mysterious new being and develops dangerous new desires, Clive and Elsa must find a way to contain their would-be daughter before things get worse.
Who made Splice?
Vincenzo Natali directed and co-wrote Splice. Natali is a fascinating filmmaker with several interesting outsider features under his belt. His first and most iconic film is Cube, a surreal cult classic sci-fi horror film. Cube made millions off of a six-figure budget, but its legacy is far more impressive. It followed a small group of strangers who struggle to avoid deadly traps in a complex superstructure prison. In many ways, it became a predecessor to the trap or torture horror genres that would spawn things like Saw. Natali intended to film Splice immediately after he finished Cube, but the technology of the late 1990s wasn't advanced enough for his liking, so he left it on the shelf for a decade. During the lull, he directed a fascinating cyberpunk thriller and an absurdist dark comedy, but he would return to Splice years later. At $30 million, Splice had the highest budget of Natali's career at that point. One of Natali's key influences is and will always be David Cronenberg. Splice has Natali's most overt Cronenberg references.
How was Splice received?
Audiences and critics were split on Splice. Its Rotten Tomatoes score remains fresh, with a 75% positive score. Unfortunately, that didn't transfer to audience interest. Splice made $27.1 million on its $30 million budget, losing the studio tens of millions. Rotten Tomatoes' audience score reflects that, with a grim 37% positive rating. Critics clearly saw something in Splice that the general audience simply lacked interest in. This lack of support from the general audience led the film to become something of a forgotten entry in the genre. Fifteen years later, it barely seems to register among fans. It's worth noting the film's bizarre pedigree. Don Murphy, Joel Silver, and Guillermo del Toro are attached as producers. It racked up several award nominations before its theatrical release. Those accolades led to a bidding war between multiple distributors, arguably setting it up to fail. Dark Castle Entertainment, one of the funniest studios in Hollywood, won the US rights to Splice, proudly declaring it their answer to Paranormal Activity. While that classic became the most profitable film of all time and spawned far too many sequels, Splice lost millions and disappeared into obscurity. Another banger from the creators of Ghost Ship.
Splice isn't for everyone. It isn't as sharp as Cronenberg's best or as focused as Cube, but it remains thought-provoking and incisive. Splice has several topics on its mind, though it never seems to nail down its take on most of them. The film could never live up to its expectations, but it still deserves to find its audience. Like Dren, there are a lot of people out there who will find a lot to love in Splice. Splice is available to stream now on Max or through premium subscriptions on Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and more.