Species is a mid-90s sci-fi classic that is just so much fun. This was Natasha Henstridge’s first ever movie, and she was a massive crush of mine during my teenage years. I watched all of the Species movies again recently after getting the box set on Blu-Ray, and the first movie holds up and is still a lot of fun, but this is a series that just got worse and worse with each instalment. Those bad sequels though, do not take away from how good this movie is.
How to Download Species
Species was released on July 7, 1995. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
While most people think of Natasha Henstridge when they think of Species, this movie has a stacked cast! To start with, a very young pre Dawsons Creek Michelle Williams plays Sil as a kid. We also have Sir Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), Michael Madsen (WarGames), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Forest Whitaker (Arrival), and Marg Helgenberger (Erin Brockovich). We have a fantastic core group here, and I think that they are all likable.
The Birth of Sil and the Sci-Fi Plot
The plot of the movie sees SETI get a reply back from an alien civilization. This alien civilization gives us plans for a new fuel source, so we assume they are friendly. The aliens also give us a sample of their DNA and instructions on how to splice it with human DNA. We mistakenly think that they are friendly and decide to go ahead with the alien/human hybrid.
Sil’s Escape and Rapid Growth
This is where Sil is born and she grows at a rapid rate, becoming a pre-teen in just a few months. The scientists freak out over a dream that Sil has and decide to terminate her, leading to Sil escaping and rapidly growing up into Natasha Henstridge. The scene on the train with her in a cocoon is very well done, it is all practical effects and it just looks so slimy and gross!
The Team Assembles to Hunt Sil
With Sil escaped, the lead scientist, Dr. Finch, puts together a team to try and capture Sil and terminate her. We have a couple of scientists, an empath, and also an ex-marine as well. They come to the conclusion that Sil will be looking for a mate, and this, of course, could lead to this new alien species taking over the planet.
Fun Characters and an Exciting Hunt
I love this group of characters as they each bring something different to this alien hunt. As well as seeing the team try to track Sil down, we also see Sil start to learn about trying to fit in on Earth, and she is looking for a mate. This is just a really fun movie with some exciting and hot scenes, and it just flies by as it is so entertaining.
H.R. Giger’s Alien Design Brilliance
The alien design of Sil is very cool. It was the legendary H.R. Giger who brought Sil to life, and she has a very “H.R. Giger” design about her. With Species being a bit of a cult hit, I am surprised that there is not more merch of Sil. You can get these very high end statues/figures that are awesome, but expensive. Neca did make some figures for Species II, but that was many, many years ago. I would love to see them take another stab at it, but base it on Sil from the first Species.
Species: A Sci-Fi Movie That Still Holds Up
I have seen Species many times over the years, and it is a movie that has never gotten old. This is just good sci-fi fun, and I think that the movie has aged very well. It is a real shame that the sequels are so bad. This ends on a pretty awesome cliffhanger, too, with the potential of a giant alien rat, but Species II completely ignores this. Although, after watching this again, I do want to watch the sequels to see if they are as bad as I remember them being.
