6 Genetically-Engineered Monsters to Give You Nightmares
From Frankenstein to the Island of Doctor Moreau, genre writers have thoroughly explored the horrors that can result from scientists playing God. However, as real life science continues to evolve, it makes sense that our bogeymen have also changed in order to adapt to modern fears.
I was reminded of this while watching Jurassic World: Rebirth; regardless of the film’s overall quality, the misshapen D-Rex marks a return to the genetically-engineered terror of Michael Crichton’s original novel – a sci-fi/horror trope that I think is in dire need of a comeback. And in honor of the test tube scares of yesteryear, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six of the scariest genetically engineered monstrosities in film!
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “genetic engineering” as the intentional manipulation of DNA with the goal of creating a new lifeform. This means that we won’t be including accidental mutations like Brundlefly or even Godzilla.
As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite genetic freaks if you think we missed a particularly scary one.
With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. Indoraptor – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may not be a particularly great film, but it does feature the franchise’s scariest genetic monstrosity to date. The hybrid predator known as the Indoraptor may not look too different from its predecessors on the outside, but it’s the creature’s mannerisms that make it scary.
Previous films may have depicted dinosaurs as unpredictable animals reacting to an unfamiliar environment, but the Indoraptor is the first instance of one of these clones being intentionally bred to act like a sadistic killer. In fact, I don’t think I’m alone in wishing that the Lockwood Manor sequence had been the focus of the entire film, as a dinosaur-based slasher seems much more interesting than every other idea present in this convoluted sequel.
5. Sil – Species (1995)
Species may not rank among the best creature features of the ’90s (which may have something to do with the fact that the original script went through a whopping eight drafts before it was finally ready for filming), but it’s hard to argue against a monster movie featuring designs by H.R. Giger! And while some fans accused Sil of being a Xenomorph knock-off, I think that her design is a continuation of the same psychosexual ideas that fueled the original Alien.
A human/extraterrestrial hybrid developed by scientists working off of a mysterious transmission sent to them by an alien civilization, Sil initially looks like a human woman (played exceptionally well by model-turned actress Natasha Henstridge), but her “true” appearance is a classic – not to mention terrifying – example of Giger’s fascination with biomechanical organs and uncomfortable sexuality.
4. Biollante – Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
I’ve never really been frightened by Kaiju. While I imagine that it would be horrifying to actually be caught in the middle of a giant monster attack, I’ve always found these movies to be more thrilling than scary. The only real exceptions would be Shin Godzilla (which I’ve already written about here), and 1989’s surprisingly tragic Godzilla vs. Biollante.
An unholy union of human DNA with plant matter and cells recovered from Godzilla himself, Biollante is one of the largest and most unique creatures to ever face the King of the Monsters. Of course, it’s the context behind Biollante’s creation that makes it such a disturbing antagonist, as the monster’s human genes actually came from the daughter of the scientist who created it – with Erika Shiragami’s consciousness becoming trapped in the hybrid’s body.
3. Dren – Splice (2009)
One of several genetic freaks on this list that feature an uncomfortable sexual aspect in their design, the high-tech chimera featured in Splice stands out due to how it can *almost* pass as human. While the filmmakers owe a huge debt to Delphine Chanéac for her unsettling performance as a hybrid lifeform that wants to escape its overprotective “parents,” I’d argue that the subtly inhuman proportions of Dren’s face are what really make her such a scary presence – not to mention the fact that she reminds me of a certain nightmarish PlayStation commercial from 1999.
The movie is well aware of Dren’s unsettling appearance, especially when it explores the quasi-incestuous relationship that she develops with Adrien Brody as her “father.” That’s why Dren earns a spot on this list, as Splice’s main antagonist manages to disturb viewers through a unique combination of her warped humanity and her traditionally monstrous antics.
2. Judas Breed – Mimic (1997)
Leave it to Guillermo del Toro to take a concept as silly as giant killer cockroaches disguised as humans and turn it into a legitimately thrilling monster movie about nature’s endless capacity for adaptation. And while the Judas Breed’s “Human” form is scary enough, with their gigantic wings and segmented carapaces having mutated in order to look like the rough silhouette of a man in a trench-coat, it’s their disgusting true form that turns them into nightmare material.
I don’t know about you, but I feel that the Breed’s combination of anthropomorphic proportions with the repulsive texture of a trash-eating arthropod make them even more disgusting than a real-life cockroach – especially in the film’s Director’s Cut!
1. The Newborn – Alien Resurrection (1997)
I’ve always been an Alien Resurrection apologist. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is an undeniably talented director, and the wild shift in tone when compared to the previous sequel is actually in line with the variety that makes this franchise so versatile. Sure, some fans criticize Resurrection for being too light-hearted, but I’d argue that its mad science elements more than makes up for the flick’s over-the-top characters and jokey dialogue. If you need proof, just take one look at the gruesome Newborn – a misshapen clone of both Ripley and the Chestburster Xenomorph she was carrying in Alien³.
A psychosexual monstrosity that’s still human enough for viewers to have some amount of empathy towards the creature, this bizarre creation benefits from one of the scariest designs in the entire franchise. Not only that, but the idea of a Xeno hybrid with uncanny human elements is so disturbing that Alien Romulus would do the same thing again in its disturbing final act!
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