“If God doesn’t want us to explore his domain, why would he give us the map?” That statement, uttered by the lead actor after a Wired interview (within the movie), describes the central premise of Splice. Husband and Wife are running their own genetics lab, splicing the DNA of multiple organisms to produce new and interesting hybrids whose bodies contain potentially profitable compounds. After a management setback they decide to push the science further by themselves, adding human DNA to the blend. And thus Dren is born.

First of all, Splice is very well made. Special effects, dialogue, all are top-notch. Adrien Brody has morphed from tough-guy Predator hunter to geeky rockstar scientist very smoothly, and plays the part with gusto. All are out-acted though by Delphine Chanéac who plays the enigmatic Dren, the result of her “parents” experiment. She utters but two words in the entire film, communicating instead with various animal chirps and calls.

Now as a science fiction film, Splice is good. It explores an area of science that is rapidly approaching and shows a what-if scenario much in the same sense as Gattaca. Unfortunately, it fails at being a thriller at the same time, something most cinema goers had been expecting.

Simply put, there are one or two scenes that might make you jump but these have been in the trailers for months. Instead what you’re left with are sudden shocks with no build up, that are over as soon as they start. There’s just no fear. Several sections could have been built up, the chill factor steadily rising until an explosive reveal, but instead the director seemed to ignore any horror-like thematic elements and instead focus on the maternal relationship between Dren and her creator.

This is why I’m going to rate Splice so lowly, though some of the later “acts” also contribute, leading to a WTF feeling. (Trust me, you’ll know what I’m referring to when you watch it.) If Splice had been advertised as a sci-fi exploratory film with a few twists, it would do well and I expect it to survive on DVD. But as a horror/thriller (as it’s described on IMDb), it fails miserably. Even Andy didn’t jump! Splice is an interesting concept, but torn between scaring you and admonishing the scientific establishment.

My rating: 5/10