. An engrossing, if flawed, techno thriller that never quite goes where expected, and that's what makes it such a pleasant surprise.. ... mining horror out of moral quandary rather than mindless slaughter, Splice occasionally achieves a terrible beauty.. The Cronenberg influence here is evident in Mr. Natali's interest in the body and birth and in an initially subdued, near-narcoleptic atmosphere that helps build a nice sense of foreboding.. This Cronenbergian exploration of the perils of inter-...