Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
In 1993, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence Project receives a transmission detailing an alien DNA structure, along with instructions on how to splice it with human DNA. The result is Sil, a sensual but deadly creature who can change from a beautiful woman to an armour-plated killing machine in the blink of an eye.
Species is a mid-90s sci-fi horror B-movie elevated slightly by its H.R. Giger creature design and a memorable premise blending alien genetics with femme fatale sexuality. The plot is fairly formulaic — a chase narrative with little tension or character depth — and the ensemble cast (despite recognizable names like Ben Kingsley and Forest Whitaker) is underutilized with thin material. Cinematography is competent and occasionally stylish, making good use of LA locations. Novelty gets a bump for the Giger-designed alien aesthetic and the provocative sexual-threat angle, which gave it a distinctive identity even if the execution is derivative of Alien and similar creature features. The ending is anticlimactic and rushed, failing to capitalize on the buildup.