Splice is four-fifths of a superior science-fiction movie. Then something goes wrong. In the paragraphs below, I’m going to talk about precisely what goes wrong, so if you haven’t seen Splice yet, you should head down to your local second-run movie theatre and watch it before reading further.
***
Perhaps we can better identify what’s wrong with the ending of Splice by comparing the movie with its most obvious antecedent, David Cronenberg’s The Fly. As you’ll recall, at the end of The Fly, the direly mutated Jeff Goldblum kidnaps Geena Davis from the doctor’s office to prevent her from aborting their baby. He takes her back to his lab and spells out his nutty plan to use the teleporter to combine himself, her, and their unborn child into a single being. Then his rotting flesh sloughs away and he turns into an animatronic monster.
I can understand why Cronenberg chose to do this. If you go to see a monster movie called The Fly, you expect to see a giant fly – not an actor swathed in lumpy latex. The problem is, we’re not only watching a monster movie, we’re also watching a movie about the relationship of Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. It’s the relationship that makes the movie interesting. And suddenly, right at the climax of the film, one of the two main actors disappears and is replaced with a slime-covered puppet.
This is a problem with The Fly. But it’s not that big a problem, because A) it happens a minute or two before the end of the movie, at a point of maximum tension, so we don’t have time to think about it, and B) in the puppet’s final scene, when it helps Geena Davis aim the shotgun at its own head, we’re willing to believe that the puppet is Jeff Goldblum. It’s a leap, but we can project our feelings about Goldblum’s character onto this pathetic creature.
At the end of Splice, a similar transformation occurs. The actress who plays Dren, the most sympathetic character and one-third of the romantic-incestuous triangle at the dramatic core of the movie, disappears, and is replaced with a totally different actor. [Correction – see update, below.]
At this point, I stopped caring. I felt gypped. Intellectually I can acknowledge that this spiny naked guy leaping through the trees is supposed to be Dren. But I can’t transfer my affections to him because he’s obviously not Dren. He’s some guy I’ve never seen before, and his fate doesn’t interest me.
Why is it easier for me to identify with puppet-Goldblum than with pseudo-Dren? I suspect it’s precisely because a puppet isn’t a person. It’s a thing – an empty vessel. Its eyes give us nothing, they’re only glassy orbs, and we can imagine that we see Goldblum’s busy mind at work behind them. But pseudo-Dren is very obviously a person. His eyes look back at us, and we say, “Who’s this dude?”
The ending might have worked better if they’d somehow retained Delphine Chanéac, the actress who plays Dren, to portray her post-transformation self. Still, I can’t help but think that the whole ending is a wrong turn. Splice sets up a fascinating, twisted relationship among its three lead characters, but the relationship is blown to bits before we get a chance to explore it.
M.
Update, August 22 2010: A few weeks ago, Niky posted in the comments that the male Dren was actually played by Delphine Chanéac. I had trouble believing this, but today was the first chance I’ve had to do a little more in-depth Googling – and it seems Niky is right. Here’s an interview with Delphine where she confirms it; the relevant discussion starts around 2:41.
Obviously, this revelation undermines the premise of my complaint about the ending. Therefore, I withdraw my objection: Splice is a perfect movie.
Stuff I Done Wrote - The Michael A. Charles Online Presence 
Just for fun: the male-form of Dren was playing by Delphine too:)) Yeah I felt a little bit of misery in the end but it was pretty logical when you think of it…Dren was made as Ginger and the change was interestedly shown in the pictures of Elsa made by Dren…oh and the rape scene? Great idea! But the sex scene with Brody was pointless
@Niky:
I do not think that it was pointless. Here’s how I saw it:
Dren saw it once, she did it (Brody) and at the end, she (or rather he) did it again. It was sort of an addiction after it happened with Clyde. So no, it was not pointless.
An incredibly interesting topic was completely ruined (for me and my friends) with such a bad ending. the whole sex scene, sex change and rape was too much.
My biggest wish was that the movie could have been longer. The ending was workable, but it needed more time to develop. the best part of Dren’s character is her suspense; we can tell she’s angry and upset at times, but we never know how she’s going to react. When she literally metamorphoses into this rampaging beast, the transformation is so abrupt it becomes unbelievable in comparison with Delphine’s stellar performance. Had it been my movie, I would have kept Dren female and had her become pregnant by Clive. If absolutely necessary (out of loyalty to the genre, that is,) she could then kill one or both of her creators out of maternal protectiveness…the irony would be pretty delectable. Anyhow, the ending just felt rushed in contrast with the overall pace. Dren isn’t the kind who would suddenly become a purely destructive monster. She would build up her anger gradually, kill one of her parents in a simple temper tantrum, and feel terrible afterwards. Splice is still a good movie and Dren is a fabulous character, but the ending doesn’t do her justice.
I personally believe Dren should have stayed a male all the way through. It was somewhat hard to watch some little girl nearly get killed and not do anything about it. I mean no sexism when I say this but a guy would have got up and beat the crap out of that bastard. I’m a girl and I would have. Anyways the ending was sorta stupid to me. What’s the point in him/her killing the guy if Elsa was already carrying its child? Although I am hoping for a part two so I can see what’ll happen to her and that kid/thing/demon.
The thing is, it leaves you with questions, as all good movies should. Is it (Brody’s) baby or “dren’s”? remember he had sex with her too…guess we gotta stay tuned till the sequel 🙂 plus, the point of the end is the the female dren died, so all that was resurrected was the testosterone filled dren, as the same with ginger. No past feelings, just the nature of impregnating the neares female.
I was scouring the internet for the answer that was presented by the video you posted, so thank you for that. I can sleep tonight ;P
In regards to previous comments:
1) Dren’s character is an extremely intriguing one, and did not get the time necessary to keep her believable throughout the movie. But the only get about 2 hours to tell the story.. Where’s the DVD with all the extras????
2) The sex scene with Clyde _was_ necessary. In order to fully understand a species’ behaviour, their mating rituals/acts need to be observed. Granted, Clyde was probably a little _too_ involved, but the over-involvement in his and Elsa’s “experiment” began much earlier in the movie.
3) The rape scene was _completely_ unbelievable. Yes, as a male acting on instinct, Dren fought off any competition and claimed the female, but why was Elsa just “taking it”? As retribution for Clyde’s act of infidelity? Did she _want_ it to happen? Most people (I assume) would freak out if they were being raped by anyone or anything (especially with wings growing out of its back), and I doubt any amount of her screaming would have upset Dren–he seemed pretty in control of the situation, with poised poisonous tail.
I, too, wish Splice was a longer film. There are so many pieces of Dren I wish could have been developed! This movie had the potential to be something great, but lacked the time to grow. Maybe in 10-20 years it will remain a horror cult classic and all the deleted scenes will show up in a collectors edition DVD/Blu-ray Disc!
Here’s hoping!
XO
Janet:
You said you found the rape scene unbelievable because you didn’t understand why Elsa ‘just took it,’ but you later commented on how Dren seemed in control of the situation because of his instantly lethal stinger. I think you kinda answered your own question.
PS I definitely agree with you though that the movie had vast unrealized potential and could have been worlds better if it had been longer.
great film…….. I was really anxious through the first part whilst the Dren creature was unidentifiably human, I just felt uncomfortable with this poor little monsterand what its fate might be.
Then when it grew into the more human Dren I relaxed and enjoyed everything about the film, although for a little bit I thought it might actually just revolve around the lifecycle of this creature and end with some kind of E.T moment….thank god it didn’t
As for the rape scene, much easier to watch than the actual sex scene with clyde, which by the way was absolutely horrific in every way. For me Elsa was cold and calcualting from the start, I think during the rape scene she realised the potential and switched off, I think that’s just how I see her character
My only question is – at the end, when she’s selling her soon to be born bastard monster – the lady who runs the company places a hand on her shoulder and says a couple of things that makes me think….was that her mother?? maybe that was obvious to everyone else and didn’t need to be raised as as a question, but I have to admit, I wasn’t 100% focussed on the film (doing other things, not because it was dull).
I have to also say….the very young Drew was very well animated, so believable and just well done….didn’t you just want to give it a big cudddle?
best part is that i didnt have to waste my money on this. id really get pissed off completely. skip this movie at all costs.
Interesting movie with lots of unanswered questions.
Dren has Elsa’s DNA, is essentially her daughter/son.
Dren is unrelated — physically — to Clyde, so if the real horror in this story is incest, then his genetic input is unimportant.
Did anyone else notice the picture of Elsa and ?her mother? that she and Dren kept looking at?
Didn’t they look an awful lot alike?
And what about Clyde mentioning Elsa’s family secrets?
Could Elsa and “mommy” have also been “sisters?”
Maybe Dren didn’t so much “rape” Elsa as we all think.
“What’s the worst that can happen?”
I’m pretty sure Dren had to use Brody’s DNA to turn male, she was already female and needed more to base off of.
most people believe (like myself) that male dren killed all the other males near its “Mate”. Dren is part animal and male animals need to feel dominance and one way they do that is eliminating the competition
I’ll be waiting for the sequel of “Splice” .It was an ultimate movie.
To Not Dren: That’s an interesting perspective on Elsa and her mother. I thought they looked very similar, but that thought never crossed my mind. Now that you mention it, I see it.
I can’t wait for the sequel. This was a well done movie.
yes, i understand how some people could think of the sex scene as pointless, but at the same time they just point it out what made it great. it made you feel a way that you werent sure you were supposed to feel and still be a normal person. dont feel so insecure that you felt that way, it almost makes you look like a prude!!! grow up, that feeling you had is what made SPLICE in our opinion one of the best sci-fi movies in a long time.
PS……..FREE YOUR MIND!!!!!
yes yes yes
you r so right pamela, you r sayin what everyone else is to insecure to say!!! i feel exactly what u r saying…..u go grl.
I am astonished that people believe this was a good movie. And to the point of saying it was “one of the best sci-fi movies in a long time” is insulting. Let’s start off in saying that the characters in this movie, not only Dren, are terrible unbelievable from many stand points. Young semi-good looking people working in an upscale genetic lab doing experiments at a top-secret level is absurd. The other side characters involved in the lab were stereotypes of the young lab nerd as well. Any and all of those people could have switched roles and we would have been none the wiser. And with that comes the writing. It was poorly written. The dialogue was forced and easily predictable. The cheesy ‘NERD’ acronym and play on that with Dren’s name is also a stretch. That and Dren apparently learned how to read and write/spell before understanding any portion of the alphabet. We missed seeing the learning of any cognitive skills and thinking exercises as the movie just jumped in the too rapid evolution of Dren. The sub-plot regarding Elsa and her hidden and dark relationship with her mother, the fact that Elsa did not want a child but was keeping this hybrid being alive as a surrogate child, and Elsa becoming the controlling mother that she grew up with was forced and sadly so. There are too many side stories that either don’t add up, were forced, or weren’t necessary in this movie. When Ginger morphed into a male, it was completely downplayed though somehow foreshadowing Dren turning into a male later in the movie(which in itself happened too fast). The sec scene was ridiculous and we all saw it coming. Impossibly hard to watch and the rape scene as well.. Dren said ‘Inside… You’.. To hear Dren speak, and those words right before he raped her was ludicrous. Also, I agree, Elsa was not a believable character on any front. Her being raped was one instance where her emotions really just sat back when they shouldn’t have. And to predict Elsa carrying the baby for profit.. We all knew she would get pregnant and for whatever motive, would keep the baby.. It’s all too predictable and cheesy. I’m ashamed that people are considering this a good movie and are waiting on a sequel.. And if anything, this is also a take down of Frankenstein’s Bride moreso than The Fly. The movie even pays homage to Frankenstein at points.
Go watch Sunshine or Moon if you want a decent modern sci-fi flick.
Nate:
For a terrible sci-fi movie, splice sure seems to have upset you quite a bit. No one would contend that it was as good a movie as Frankenstein or The Fly, but you still have to give it some credit. Science fiction isn’t about what is realistic, it’s about what is interesting. Splice created a thought-provoking character based on a real-world concept. If that’s not sci-fi, I don’t know what is. I will allow that the movie was too short for its plot and that the scientists’ endless string of bad decisions was unbelievable; that said, I loved the character of Dren and consider it your loss if you don’t understand her. Splice easily could have been better, but it was certainly not a waste.
Ok, this is my take on the sex change. In nature, certain amphibians switch sexes when reproduction is hindered. I believe that Dren seduced Clove to reproduce. When it was unsucessful,she changed sexes. In nature, reproduction can be just that violent. I don’t believe the ending is all that forced.
@Mark, I think Elsa’s mom died?
pam, you are apsolutly right., i think people are to afraid to have an open mind about the sex scene, i had that feeling that you talked about and it’s perfectly normal, and your right……FREE YOUR MIND PEOPLE!!!
Saw the movie for the first time today. Love every single second of it(some more than others). In all honesty ALOT of it was easily predictable yet at the same time it just seemed to pull everything together in a as close to perfect way as possible.
And I dont know why people are complaining about the sex scene being pointless or what ever, I meant come on who couldnt see it coming? And let me say what I know ALOT of people arnt going to, the sex scene was kind of ‘sexy’ once you got past the fact that dren wasnt human. the dog like legs below the knees, and the four fingers dren(or rather the actor)is extremly hot…The wing thing albeit weird was a new thing and added to the sexiness IMO.
@nateninetenNate I completely agree about suggesting Moon and Sunshine over Splice. The former is an instant classic and the latter is an extremely underrated example of what Event Horizon should have been.:)
Aside from that there’s many reasons I don’t really agree about your verdict on Splice:
A) The choice of actors would quite wise, as Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley are both well-accomplished. If they WERE to switch the characters I would better people would complain about the lack of charisma the smaller actors would have in the lead roles.
B) The origin ‘DREN’ was both humourous and significant. Humourous from the geekiness of the characters and significant because the comprehension of the word on Dren’s part is a huge stepping stone in a child’s growth.
C) The previous point also is proof of Dren’s learning process. Sure, the movie was a bit too fast and more time would be lovely to see her growth, but Dren’s speed of learning was still evident in the time shown.
D) Elsa’s subplot was extremely significant to establish her character. The abuse her mother inflicted and Elsa’s want to be a good mother created a conflict both internal and external, with the other characters.
E) The speed that Dren morphed isn’t surprising. When Ginger morphed it came as a surprise to the characters, so it’s likely to have happened quite fast.
In summary it kind of seems easy to replace every time you say something like ‘unnecessary’, or ‘forced’, it really seems you have overlooked how whatever in question affects the more important themes for Splice. But as my grandmother says, “there’s no accounting for taste.”
Hey guys, I think Splice is a great movie, and I’ve been reading the comments about the sex scene and the rape scene at the end of the film. I just wanted to post my thoughts on the topics and see if some people agree with me.
Okay, No 1- The sex scene (Like actual sex)
I think that the sex scene was probably needed. Dren is part amphibian, and a very key part that is unique to amphibians is the way they reproduce (Frogs especially).
They must reporoduce, it’s a major part of what they think, and the idea of the “foreplay” (Dancing in the water, naked, showing him that she is ready for sex, trying to convince him) that they showed was quite smart, because it mixed the body of a beautiful young woman with the almost ritualistic dancing that several amphibians do, and it was a very nice touch.
Admittedly, it is usually the male in nature who tries to convince the female, but then again, the dancing earlier in the movie could have been interpereted by Dren as the whole Idea of Clyde saying you know, “I am ready for sex, ladies!”, and the naked dancing in the water could have just been Dren accepting the offer.
So, Clyde goes and has sex with her. And lets face it guys, even when Delphine Chanéac is a mutant, she is still really sexy. I found the whole scene strangely erotic, and in the same situation, I wonder if I could actually NOT have sex with Dren (That’s a maaaajor compliment Delphine Chanéac).
So, all in all, I think that the sex scene was an important part to the film, maybe they didn’t need to go into as much detail about it it, but the scene or at least THE IDEA was needed. Good work guys!
No 2- The transformation idea.
I think that the transformation Idea was a good one, but needed to go into far more detail. The idea of Dren transforming into a male isn’t bad idea. However, the idea of her being a moody, alien teenager who actually is very nice most of the time, kind of rebels against the idea of her being a teenager one minute, then a testosterone (or whatever hormone mutants have) filled 7 foot tall monster who wants to rape and kill the two closest things to parents it has the next.
Yeah, it doesn’t really work out for me. I had sypathised with this adorable mutant throughout the entire movie, only to have her change into an actual monster. It just did not make sense for me. Even if she turned into a male, I don’t think that she should have just became a MONSTER, if she turned into a male, then maybe make her more agressive, but not violent.
If they had gone into more detail about it then I would have accepted it much more easily. Still, a pretty good concept.
No 3- The rape scene
A very controvesial moment in the movie. I actually think that they went a bit overboard with the whole idea. I could understand that eventually this might have happened, but Dren just raped the woman who brought him up. It just doesn’t seem right, especially since in nature sons don’t try to reproduce with their mothers unless there is actually no other choice (not sure if this is true with amphibians), and a human boy would have to be SOOOOO horny to actually have sex with his mother.
Also the way he says “Inside… You…” just scared the absolute fuck out of me (Seriously, I couldn’t have sex with my girlfriend for a while after watching that). Those words there make the scene and movie a kind of letdown for me. If I watch it again I know that I’m going have to watch the end again, and I really don’t want to. Also the fact that he killed Clyde didn’t add up to me.
Even if he was apparently just trying to “eliminate the competition” as someone said it still doesn’t add up. Especially since when males fight over females in nature, most of the time they do not actually try to kill their oppsition. They might show them that they know their stuff, but seriously.
And for those who say “Well, she had sex with her father earlier! Whats so weird with her mother?”. Well, Clyde wasn’t actually her father, there is no DNA of Clyde in her (he never actually ejaculated in Dren), so she might have skin cells on her or something, but thats the worst. Elsa is HER MOTHER (the father being a frog, tree, insect, bird, whatever), so her/his DNA is directly in him/her. SO when she had sex with Clyde, she was just reproducing with a male. When he copulated with Elsa, he was literally having sex with his mum.
I think this is the major wrong with the ending of the movie, I think.
Okay guys, thanks for reading my rant, I know its kind of long sorry haha, but I just had to get all that off my chest, I LOVED the movie, a fantastically well made movie (except for the points I have just made), and I am looking forward to a sequel! Good acting by all the characters most of the time, there were a few things that I would change, but that’s the same with every movie I’ve ever seen ahaha!
MY RATING
9.9/10
Those science nerds created a superior little being and were too vain to see it. Dren speaks two more words in the movie – besides “inside you”. When Elsa removes Dren’s necklace she turns to Elsa and hoarsely whispers “hurt”. As Dren turns, we see a large purple bruise on the back of her head – the cause of her initial pain. After Dren’s mutilation she is quivering from the cold, from fear and from the pain of being clubbed on the head and then operated upon without anesthesia. As Clive enters the barn, Dren turns to him and hoarsely whispers “help”. Also , Dren used an anagram to express her boredom to her “parents’ . The word tedious when re-arranged spells outside. The sweet little one was fiercely intelligent but the two dorks didn’t even notice. Also “inside you” was a reference to Elsa and the “I’m inside you and you’re inside me” scene just before she clubbed the little critter with the shovel. Bad science, worse scientists. Dren neither “made love” nor “raped” nor “killed”. Dren was an innocent animal and animals mate to reproduce. I think Dren’s metamorphisis was a result of her failed mating effort with Clive. As a male, Dren wanted a compatible female and , as some animals do, knocked out the other male competitors. After Dren is killed we see his body laying against the snow, wings spread out like a dead angel…symbolic of his innocence. Oh and I think he may have said “mommy” which caused Elsa to pause before crushing his head.
-Elsa was probably the only female that was known to Dren. Maybe its the cause of such sex behavior.
-What I’d like to moot is a scene where Dren kills a cat that Elsa wanted to give back.
Pure evil.
Does it mean that she was so abusive already, or that she found Elsa as a competitor to Clive and any price could be paid to win?
The chrysalis of Dren was also killing-focused. It could mean that being cruel and unhuman is the Dren’s nature, similar to humans and chimps.
This could explain her being monster as a male.
-the word “mammy” at the end. How does Dren could know the meaning of that word, and fully understand her and Elsa genetic similarities?
And when Elsa tell Dren about it? “I’m inside you” is not enough.
-Ginger mutate into a male after taking some genetic material. It suggest that Clive had add sth to Dren.
You guys are missing the point. Dren is not human, therefore if she were the one to have become pregnant it’d harder for the audience to indentify with her than it would be with Elsa.
Intrestingly this is one of the few instences I’ve seen of a women treating an alien/demonic/mutant pregnancy as benifical instead of a nightmare.
And for those you screaming “Dren should have stayed a chick!”, it’s the same actress playing Male!Dren so you can still be attracted to him without being gay. Srsly, quit being a bunch of fags! XP
Clyde and Elsa were the only male and female Dren knew, so they were her/his only chance to mate at all. Also, like someone said, the sex change happened because Dren was obviously part Amphibian. The reason Dren probably killed off the males, and the reason Ginger and the other one did as well, is probably because (and this is just a theory) Dren’s species was most likely the opposite of say, termites or bees.
Termites and bees have only one female, the Queen, and the rest are male, any female children being killed off. That is, until the Queen is about to die, in which case, they keep one of the females to take it’s place. What if Dren’s species is supposed to only have one male (Dren), and the rest are supposed to be female, the male children being killed off until Dren is dying? The problem with that would be that Dren’s species would eventually die out on it’s own as any females would most likely change gender like Dren, unless that other person was right and they specifically need male DNA to change.
I thought this movie was pointless, until I wanted to watch it again and again. Then I realized that it is a sleeper underground D-movie. There is no redeeming quality in this movie, except Male Dren who is freaking cool. And therefore I made this tribute mash-up music video, to which any true fan will immediately recognize the connection.
very good movie… produces a lot of questions.. about ehtics
alos did anybody else notice that dren seemed somewhat telepathic towards the end when brody was watching her on the screen and put his hand on the screen and she does the same. that would also explain how she was able to spell words that she shouldn’t have been able to.
very much agree that the movie was too short
would have been able to go way more into detail..
How do some of you not understand why male Dren killed Adrian Brody? Dren killed Brody out of spite, to hurt Sarah Polley. Dren was part animal, yes, but this was its human side showing through. Dren knew that Polley loved Brody, so Dren looked into Polley’s eyes and killed Brody. Even while knowing that its own death was inevitable and imminent.
Her sex changed as a result of the sex with brody. She had his dna and became male.
Hello,
Enjoyed reading your view on the ending. I am half way through the film at the moment and I am looking forward to seeing the Dren transformation to see of I agree.
Regards,
Joe
At the end of the movie, when Elsa was standing at the window and her boss came up behind her, the camera zoomed out and their profiles looked like Elsa with a tall male Dren standing behind her. Did anyone else notice this?
@charles: I thought the same thing. Before the ‘proto’ life form Ginger, switched genders she came into contact with a male of her kind. After that Ginger ‘became male’ and they killed each other while on display in that glass case. That foreshadowed what was to come. When I saw Dren having sex with Brody’s character I remember thinking…ohhh I know where this is going.
This was a fucking awkward movie.
I finally saw this movie last night and read your article. Personally the biggest problem I had was the arrogance of Dren’s dna donor. I just hated her. I was hoping she would be killed really bad at the end of the movie but instead the one killed was Clide. I liked Clide. Delphine was amazing. Very beautiful. The idea of males being very agressive also hit a nerve for me. Just sloppy and simple. The movie was very deep and had some great strange sex scenes. That was my favorite part. Its always nice to see different things outsidd of the ideal romance themes.
The finish of the movie is so stuppid and the director is dumb, how could Elsa beeing pregnant with the male dren monsters baby, when she had a sex with Clive before having sex with dren male in the ending scene?? and when clive cam back to save elsa form rape ,the male dren didn’t came in here because he was killed by clive before he got orgasm and came in elsa. So that’s terrible mistake from directors of the movie that she is pregnant with the male dren baby…
I would like to explain some key points that some of you are have been unable to understand or wish to ignore
1. Dren is half human and half a mix of amphibians and other creatures. This means that Dren is capable of changing sex’s. it happens in nature all the time. there are many factors that could explain for this. some amphibians change sex if there are too many of one sex. Another is that some amphibians change sex after a certain time in there lives, age or height and weight. Or the available mates are not viable in both good genetics and strength. Most animals of any breading age will try to find a mate that will pass on good genes to help the offspring have the best chance. Did none of you read or learn Darwin’s theory on evolution. We have daily proof that nature can and is unpredictable. I personally think Dren changed sexes because she was of a certain age.
2. As for the male Dren to kill off the other males in the nearest area. Some animals are very territorial of their territories and will and do eliminate any competition. I must admit it is rare for a animal to kill its own kind but Dren has several animal and human instincts driving it, that could mean that several conflicting instincts are at work. You also have to note that Dren is the only one of its kind and the urge to mate is intense. also in some species of animals a male is capable of removing any and all seamen from a female to give itself the best chance of reproduction. or the ability to have a female abort others offspring so it is able to reproduce with that female. I would say that’s why Dren killed Brody and the others to prevent his possible offspring from being aborted.
3: To explain Dren raping or mating with Sara could have been a mixture of base instinct. Even when Sara ask ask him why and he replies to be in you. it could have several meanings. He may be stating that as she already has the some of the same genetics that she ids viable for carrying his offspring or he simply stating he want to mate with her to produce offspring. or he could simply trying to alleviate her fear and be in control at the same time.
4: I going to point out that Brody and Sara didn’t have sex before Dren mated with her. And I am assuming that the company that Brody and Sara worked for wouldn’t wait for her to be several months on before offering her that contract. More chances it is Dren’s offspring and it is a fast growing hybrid as Dren was.
This is a fantastic showing of a good sci fi movie that is original. It show great special effects with the new born Dren, Ginger and Fred. The actors did a superb job and I applaud their effort and commitment. I aslo state that a lot of the answers people have asked about certain parts of the movie had been explained during the movie. If you pay attention you would have picked up on them. This is not a movie you can turn your brain off and become a couch potato. It is meant to intrigue you. Consider the possibilities of what splicing can do and the side effects. The good the bad and unfortunately the ugly.
I am hoping that there is another installment in a second movie and I cant wait to see where they take it as it has so much more potential.
Was a “splice 2” made?
I think a running theme in the entire movie was rape, perhaps incestuous.
Elsa lived on that farm as a child, in a room bereft of ‘nice things’ as if she was an embarrassment to her mother. In this, I think Elsa was the result of her mother being raped and the shame of an illegitimate child caused her mother to keep her a secret. She alluded to this when she said her mother never her let her play with the doll, she had to keep her a secret, like little creatures as Dren.
So when it was discovered by Clive that Elsa has used her own DNA in the creation of Dren, it was, in a way, a form of rape – passing her dna on without consent, creating a life that was not wanted. I would suggest that is what Clive was referring to when he said she needs to look at her own family tree. Through her selfish action, she had created an illigitimate child that had to be hidden, kept secret.
So the rape scene at the end, where Elsa just ‘took’ it, was in a way, something she may have felt was deserving. She herself was the result of rape, creating a new life without consent, to end up raped.
Not a nice thing to have as a blatant story arc, but nonetheless, the movie does hold a dark undertone.
The rest, with the amphibious nature of Dren, the changing of sex, et al, falls into place given the unknown nature of the genetic mutations they had been playing with previously. It seems they had used a range of dna, from animal, fish, bird and plant. it is known for some life to spontaneously change it’s sex depending on it’s environment, if there is an overpopulation of competition, or a lack of it.
As the writer has said he prefers to leave his movies with questions hanging… and so far I don’t think there has been a sequel. I am hoping there is however, and hopefully, unlike the Fly II, it does better than simply repeat the first story with different names. IE; no taking the baby out of the facility, hiding him/her in a wooded area, oops it’s escaped, shady scenes of movement, noise, gotya, the end.
I have just watched Splice, and I have to tell it`s a great movie that arranges all type of feelings on you. I agree with those who say there`s an incest/rape subtext on Elsa`s background.
I`m the only one who believes male Dren looks like Michael Rosenbaum, the actor who portrayed Lex Luthor in Smallville?
I totally would have done what Clyde did and banged dren , she was hot for a bald girl mutant creature.