by Ken San Nicolas

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Time: 2 hours

Genre: Horror

Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley

"Splice" is a new generation of horror film - one that combines the traditional elements of fear with issues of morality and human conflict in order to create a double helix unlike anything cinema has seen before - the DNA of a new breed of horror.

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley star as a team of brilliant genetic scientists who look to bridge the controversial gap of human genetic testing. Through one of their illegal tests, they make a startling breakthrough and are successful in splicing the DNA of a human embryo with that of various other animals. The initial findings are remarkable and the couple is genuinely happy at their ground-breaking discovery - soon however, they find that some things were not meant to be tampered with.

"Splice" is extremely thought-provoking as well as emotional. The film is a no-frills look at the pros and cons of human research in the field of genetics. The subject matter is very touchy and many scenes in the film flirt with the boundary between powerful and obscene. Whether or not you enjoy what you see, you will definitely have a very polar feeling towards it. In my eyes, that is the mark of a good movie - one that leaves it to the viewers to assess what they are viewing. Are the scientists wrong to do this research? Do the benefits of this research outweigh the costs? The film is fairly strong in its stance of what it wants you to believe, but it leaves much to the viewer to decide.

Granted, the final few scenes of "Splice" nearly stumble out of control but director Vincezo Natali recovers quickly enough to put the film back on track for what is an unforgettable 3rd act. Is "Splice" crude and obscene? Yes. But it is also very true and relevant to human emotion and behavior. That aspect alone pushes the film above the standard which other horror films dwell in. "Splice" is a cut above the rest.

4 out of 5 stars.