by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Science fiction and horror have been intertwined since the first science fiction story. Frankensteinastonished readers with the immoral world and its attempts to create life. More than two hundred years later, scientists experimenting too much has remained a constant trope of science fiction, including a 2009 box office bomb that pushed the envelope too far, according to most critics. stickya small-scale story about two scientists breeding human-animal hybrids, is steeped in debates about scientific ethics before all hell breaks loose, as it always does.
Scientists play God
Scientists Clive and Elsa, played by Academy Award winners Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, managed to create two amorphous creatures named Fred and Ethel as proof that their genetic research was on the right track. Quietly, and without informing their bosses, the two were able to create Dren, named after the young man who saw their T-shirts with the word “NERD” written backwards. It's a sweet moment, and young Dren is a highlight stickyBut if experiments always went right, no one would care about any of them at all Science fiction film.
sticky It takes place mainly on an abandoned farm, where Clive and Elsa are able to raise Dren away from prying eyes and also to save some money on the budget because you can tell that most of the effort went towards the animal-human hybrid creature. Dren ages quickly and becomes a “teenager”, played by French ballerina Delphine Channick, who does a wonderful job of conveying Dren's feelings without saying a single word.
Compared to more classic versions of body horror, from many body horror works David Cronenberg To the latest material, sticky Not exactly unpleasant, and not in the classic “dirty” way one would expect. Instead, the film turns Dren into an attractive alien hybrid being who, with her large, anime-like eyes, is clearly capable of emotion, so the horror comes from the realization that this obviously abnormal being is intelligent, capable of higher levels of thought. But again, he is… The product of an illegal experiment.
Slow burn ignites
The film makes great use of characters discussing the ethics of scientific research, what counts as intelligent life, and where Dren fits into the world now that she's here. That part of sticky Well done, and for the constant scenes of dialogue and debate, it's compelling and meditative. This makes the wild, last-minute third act sequence even more terrifying when it arrives and completely changes the tone of the film to one of pure terror.
Even at the end of the volatility, sticky It was a hit with critics, even earning praise from Roger Ebert, but was largely ignored at the box office. Against a budget of $30 million, the film grossed $28 million, and although the marketing budget was very small, it did not even recoup the production budget, relying on DVD and Blu-Ray releases to help the film make a small profit. A dialogue-heavy sci-fi drama that veers into body horror isn't an easy sell, and although the film has attracted a small following, it hasn't reached that cult classic level yet, and now, 15 years after its release, that ship has sailed. .
You can try sticky And judge it yourself On Max. Just be careful, there are some moments and images from the movie that will burn themselves into your mind as soon as you see them, and no matter what you do, they'll be hard to forget. Don't let the 15-minute opening fool you; It gets an R rating by going from 0 to 100 within 5 seconds once the final act begins.
