As their experiments progress, Anika and Jack become increasingly fascinated with the possibility of creating new life forms. They begin to secretly work on a project to splice human DNA with that of other animals, without informing their boss.

: An analysis of the film not as a monster movie, but as a twisted metaphor for parenting and inherited trauma. Practical vs. Digital Effects : A technical feature on how the creature Dren was brought to life

Years later, when the lab's reputation had cobwebbed into other projects and the donor had stopped returning calls, the building was repurposed. The old lab benches were broken down. Some of the ducts were replaced. In the walls, though, things often linger. During demolition, a worker found a small polymer ring behind an HVAC intake. It glowed faintly in his palm and then dimmed like an exhausted firefly. He kept it for a week and then threw it away, because it was like a long-forgotten greeting from a stranger.

Directed by Vincenzo Natali and executive produced by , the film is renowned for its impressive practical effects and the haunting performance of Delphine Chanéac as the adult Dren. Though it was a polarizing box office performer, it has since gained a cult following for its daring approach to biological ethics and its unsettling, transformative ending.