In the year 2008, global warming has caused the oceans to rise and flood many major cities. London was no exception. Much of London is underwater, especially at high tide. Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer) is a homicide detective who, after the death of his partner, has become burnt out, hard headed and depressed. His partner, Foster McLaine (Steven Hartley), was murdered by a serial killer who was never caught. Stone is wracked with guilt not only from his partner dying in front of him but also for having an affair with Foster’s wife, Michelle (Kim Cattrall).
Now three years after his partner’s death, Stone has a premonition that the killer is back. He follows his gut to a dingy nightclub where a young woman has her heart ripped out. Stone’s boss, Thrasher (Alun Armstrong), assigns a rookie, Detective Dick Durkin (Neil Duncan), to partner with Stone. Durkin is an expert in serial killers. Durkin’s “by the book” style clashes with Stone’s “above the law” way of policing.
Stone and Durkin begin a cat and mouse game with the killer. They have a few run-ins and shoot-outs with him. DNA testing on blood from the creature’s wounds shows that it has the DNA of all its victims, including Stone’s. Durkin finds out that Stone had been bitten by the killer in the past which is why there is a psychic connection between Stone and the creature. It eats the hearts of its victims to possess their power, their DNA and their souls. This is not your ordinary serial killer.
“Split Second” was released in 1992 and was directed by Tony Maylam. It is a British science fiction horror thriller.
I was interested in it enough to gladly watch it to the end. Granted it’s not the best horror movie out there but there is enough substance to it to make it enjoyable despite the plot holes. The feel of the film moves from serial killer, to implied alien menace, to a bit of a buddy movie at the end. The film is punctuated here and there with some comedic lines, especially from the straight laced Durkin.
The monster in the film, played by two actors, Stewart Harvey-Wilson and Paul Grayson, is called a Scorpio Demon. It is eight feet tall and humanoid in shape. It has razor sharp claws and teeth, super-human strength and is lightning fast. Its speed gives it the name Split Second. It is the reason why people don’t see it in a crowded room. It is also extremely intelligent and can use tools. It’s never said for sure but it is suggested that at one time it was human. Where the creature came from is never revealed.
Most of the time, you only see bits and pieces of the monster. When you finally get to see it, it looks quite a bit like Venom, but without the clever internal banter.
What the film mostly encompasses is dark action. The entire film is shrouded in darkness and flooded streets. The future of 2008 is a polluted land. The atmosphere is oppressive and dirty. People live in poverty among a society full of rats. If you like action movies with flawed heroes and lots of gun play and explosions in dystopian worlds, then this will get you there.