When I watched this film, I kept thinking of Frankenstein of the same theme. It is all about human beings who create life and then get hurt by it, which is full of warnings. Elsa's passion for science makes her recklessly insist on such experiments that challenge the bottom line of human morality. Paradoxically, at the same time, she has a maternal care for the growing Dren, not simply treating her as an experiment. We can also see that Dren also has thoughts and feelings. She longs for warmth and care, longs for freedom, likes to dress up like young girls, and longs for love. However, such a dream is obviously unrealistic. She is a contraband, so how can society allow her to have such unethical feelings. When Cliff's role in Dren's eyes was no longer a father, tragedy happened... The film developed from a human-beast hybrid to a human-animal hybrid... Once again, it impacted the audience's ability to bear.
It's not scary that monsters have humanity, what's scary is that humans lose their humanity. When Dren's murderous side is exposed, Elsa puts on the serious face of a scientist, not only no longer seeing her as a daughter, but also cutting off Dren's aggressive tail. She eventually succeeded in finding new proteins in Dren's tissue, completing scientific research and earning a hefty bonus. However, Cliff was killed by the genetically mutated Dren, and Dren's life was ended by Elsa herself. What to gain and what to lose. This is another thought-provoking entry point for the film.
As an independent masterpiece that stood out at Sundance, "Human Beast" has been praised by film critics. Thomas Leupp, film critic for hollywood.com put it this way: "For two hours, the film tests the stomach and brain of the audience. From the oppressive tones to the eerie soundtrack, the film infuses the essence of horror into every detail. ——In this way, it succeeded." The Los Angeles Times described it, "You will find the shadow of "Alien" and "Frankenstein" in it, but the theme of the film is deep and serious, with absolute originality Spend."
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