More Maneater Series movies, that’s what Genius Products and RHI Entertainment want to unleash on us in the coming months, the thing is however they do seem to be getting better storytelling wise, but they still have that made for television, Sci-fi original movie feel to them. That’s the case with HYBRID, it has the feel of all the other films of the Maneater series, but this one actually does have somewhat of decent story.
A blind man named Aaron Scates (Cory Monteith) goes under the knife to have new eyes transplanted in his eye sockets in hope he can see again. However this is more than your average transplant as he is part of an experiment in which the eyes of a wolf will be transplanted into a human. The transplant is a success, and Aaron can see better and also has the ability to see in the dark. But as time moves on he begins to develop the instincts and cravings of a wolf until it eventually consumes him turning him into a ravaged beast who in on the hunt for blood. At first it’s animals, but then people get into the mix. When he escapes from the hospital and begins his reign of terror, the people responsible for him order him to be hunted down. However a young Indian women named Lydia who has animal instincts of her own is out to save him and help Aaron control his new abilities, or will they just consume him.
HYBRID seems like a film that was made just to fill a slot on the Sci-fi channel. The script has it’s issues but is not half bad. The beginning of the film moves along at a snails pace and is very slow in developing the story. The dialogue is simple, basic and effective and does help in letting the actors tell the story as it moves along. Overall however the script is at times bit all over the place and it does move along in a pace that can keep many people’s attention. It’s really not an action based script for the first hour of the film.
The acting in the film is so-so. It is a film that does have a once was child actor; Family Tie’s Justine Bateman as the doctor who is reasonable for Aarons eye transplant. Cory Monteith does a decent job in the lead role as Aaron, and same with his co-star Tinsel Korey. The performances were nothing special and there were times when the acting was bad, but overall it’s not too bad that it takes away from the film.
In terms of production value, for a film that was made to be a Sci-fi original movie as part of it’s Maneater series. All the locations are pretty basic, but serve their purpose and the overall effects are not that bad compared to the many other effects in past Maneater films. The movie was also filmed and edited pretty well, but the overall pacing like I mentioned with the script could of used more action and better pacing.
Overall, HYBRID is not that bad of a film, but it does have it’s issues mainly with the script. It’s without a doubt a low budget horror film with that eighties direct to video horror film feel. It’s the eighth film in the Maneater series that Genius Products and RHI Entertainment seem to be really pushing on fans of these films, and it looks like there really is a crowd for these films out there. although HYBRID does not have a lot of great action packed sequences it is probably one of the better films I’ve seen that are part of the Maneater series.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
