Frankenstein Syndrome (2010) (a review)

Frankenstein Syndrome (2010) (a review)

A low budget horror movie starring Tiffany Shepis (as all low budget horror movies seem to do). It's an interesting modern take on the classic Frankenstein story, although an alternative name is The Prometheus Project because the Prometheus myth is there as well.

The story: an illegal genetics lab develops a regeneration formula that can bring back people from the dead, but the guy they bring back starts to show supernatural power and wreak havok on the lab.

Was it good?

Yeah, it was a neat little film. Now, this is low budget stuff and they never really overcome their low budget -- the script has problems, the acting is uneven, the directing and camerawork...none of it is top class. The best low budget movies seem to understand their limitations and either find a way to make it part of the film (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY) or find a way to overcome it (MONSTERS). This movie doesn't. What it does have, for the first half, is a nice take on the Frankenstein story that doesn't rely on blood and killing. It focuses on the test subject (well, the one that lives) and how the doctors deal with him. It has some nice writing elements -- for instance one nice reversal was having the doctor most against the project be the one that bonds with the subject. It's a simple thing, but having one or two little reversals is something that helps give the story more dimension and seperates the amateurs from the pros.

Unfortunately, the second half, when all the over-the-top powers come in and all the violence starts, feels pretty ordinary. And while there are some nice elements and reversals to the first half, the second half feels like it's playing out pretty by the numbers. The problem is there is no real depth, no emotion, to the story at all (as opposed to RE-ANIMATOR which had a love triangle played out in a horrible way). Essentially, there is no inner story for any of the characters, so the second half is just plot and much less engaging.

Still, for a low budget horror movie it kept me entertained and for much of it kept me off-kilter so I didn't know exactly what they were going to do. For the first half, I'd recommend it. It's just too bad they didn't find a stronger second half with some character depth instead of gore.

*** RENTAL ****