As the summer movie season continues to heat up, it's always interesting to find a film that you didn't expect to resonate with you in the way that it does ... for me Splice is that film. I'm not a huge fan of horror films and I especially don't like creepy movies that try to be creepy just for the sake of being creepy but Splice is a unique film with a fascinating story, great acting and a very interesting message. From the trailers you get the idea that the movie is going to be your standard "monster loose in the woods" film, and it is that for about the last ten minutes of the movie, but leading up to that it is a wonderfully scary, sci-fi thriller that touches on heavy topics such as family, parenthood, love, sex, science and even stem cell research.

The film begins by introducing us to superstar genetic engineers Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley), who have achieved fame by successfully splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrids that can be used to cure many diseases. According to the couple, the next step in the evolution of their experiments is to try splicing human DNA with the hybrids. But when the pharmaceutical company that they work for forbids it, they are forced to conduct the experiment on their own, secretly blending human DNA with their hybrids and ignoring society's moral and legal boundaries. Also going on behind the scenes with the couple is Clive's desire to start a family, but Elsa is too obsessed with their experiments to consider that. However, unbeknownst to Clive, Elsa is hiding some dark family secrets, which are the real reasons that she doesn't want a baby.

While Clive is interested to see if their experiment will work, he starts to believe that it is wrong to tamper with nature. Elsa convinces him that she just wants to see if it will work and is prepared to terminate the creature before it is born. However, when she begins to be attached to it on an emotional level, Clive is unable to convince her to stop the experiment. What is born out of this is a creature named Dren. Dren looks pretty close to human but has a tail and webbed feet. While at first she exceeds their wildest dreams, she also exhibits uncommon intelligence and an array of unexpected physical developments. As Elsa grows attached to Dren as her "Mother," Clive becomes more and more concerned about Dren as she begins to grow and learn at an accelerated rate. Eventually, Clive also becomes emotionally attached to Dren but not quite in the way you would expect. With Dren, now at a fully human size, the couple takes her to Elsa's childhood home in the woods to keep her safe. However, as Elsa's past begins to become more apparent to Clive he begins to question her sanity, their relationship and the idea of Dren being a part of their family. Things get even more complicated as Dren comes to terms with her human emotions and begins to metamorphous into something that the couple never expected. Now Clive and Elsa must put their differences aside and put an end to what they have created before Dren threatens to destroy mankind for good.

Oscar winner Adrien Brody continues to make interesting career choices after winning his Academy Award for Roman Polanski's "The Pianist," with films that you wouldn't expect the actor to make such as this, "King Kong," "The Jacket" and "Predators," which will be out later this summer. Brody has an ability to take a character and truly understand the core of that person, establishing that right off the bat in this film. He brings a believable quality to the most unbelievable situations and his performance in this movie is just short of brilliant. He is able to express his character's vulnerability in a way that is both fascinating and riveting to watch. Actress Sarah Polley is best known for her roles in films like "The Sweet Hereafter" and Zach Snyder's "Dawn Of The Dead," but left acting a few years ago to pursue a career as a director when she made the critically acclaimed film "Away From Her" starring actress Julie Christie. Polley's resent return to being in front of the camera is quite welcomed as the actress has a sweet quality that masks her deeper, darker side, which she utilizes very well for this film. Polley's performance in many ways is what keeps the film going even when the script seems to run out of steam. She too brings a believable vulnerability to the role but it is her character's emotional changes in the film that strikes you the most.

French actress Delphine Chaneac does a marvelous job of portraying the creature Dren, with a scary childlike abandon. She is truly frighteningly real and while you sympathize with her at times you never forget for a moment that she is the monster. Without giving too much away I was truly shocked at the metamorphous that the character goes through in the third act and there is one scene in particular between her and Brody that maybe one of the coolest, creepiest and most fascinating sex scenes ever put on film. Director/writer Vincenzo Natail brilliantly lets the film unfold in a very mysterious way that helps you follow the movie. But it is the film's real world issues like family and the advances of science that really makes this film work on a different level. It should be no surprise that the film's producer is "Mimic" director Guillermo Del Toro and that his unique touches are all over the film. In the end I really enjoyed this film, which says a lot as it is not usually my cup of tea but it is a smart, fast, fun film with lots of scares and some great performances form it's actors. So when you are sifting through the list of possible movies to check out this summer, try giving Splice a try. I think you'll find that it is really smart, unexpected summer fun!