Review of Subject Two (2006) by Brian S — 27 Apr 2011

I went into this flick knowing nothing about it and had no expectations. What I found was one of those pleasant surprises that occasionally await horror fans. "Subject Two" is a smart, subdued, slow-burn of a sci fi/horror film with strong performances by the entire cast and a compelling story that asks interesting questions about what it means to be alive. It also has a good twist ending that requires the viewer to pay attention from the outset. It does get a bit bogged down toward the end, but it's a small flaw in an otherwise good movie that will reward the patient viewer.

A struggling, migraine-afflicted college student volunteers to be an assistant to a reclusive scientist and winds up much more intimately involved in the experiments than he'd thought he would be. He is killed and brought back to life again and again, each time losing a little more of his nervous system and his connection to the world and to himself. This is not a gore-fest. We do see some blood, and the climactic scene is pretty gruesome in a perfectly nonchalant manner. Most of the story takes place between just two characters, the scientist and Adam, the student who becomes Subject Two. It's a good thing that the actors are both very good, because everything hangs on their performances. Dean Stapleton channels a sort of subdued Jack Nicholson from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in his performance and Christian Oliver evinces a sort of increasingly vacant melancholy that could have not been easy to pull off while keeping his character interesting; it's a performance worthy of some real recognition.

There are story elements from Frankenstein here, but fans of HP Lovecraft will pick up on what might be some influence from the story "Cool Air," particularly at the end. Much of this film is allegorical and while you may have seen similar themes before, the lack of originality is more than compensated for by the strength of the flick itself. All of it's good, and if you're the sort of horror fan who likes a good story, not just blood and guts, "Subject Two" is definitely worth checking out. This is a good little film whose appeal should go beyond just devotees of fright cinema.