‘Errors of the Human Body’ Review

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Eron Sheean’s Errors of the Human Body seems to be most commonly equated to the earlier works of David Cronenberg and though most have been stating this in a complimentary way, I think it’s a slightly unfair comparison. This is a film with its own unique voice and just because it’s about the biology of the human body, that doesn’t immediately warrant a similarity to Cronenberg. That being said, it’s understandable why some might try to lump them together especially with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral hitting theaters around the same time, which also takes a crack at medical science fiction.

The film stars Michael Eklund as Dr. Geoff Burton, a brilliant scientist who, after the loss of his son due to a rare illness, becomes obsessed with finding a cure.  After his wife leaves him and his lab funding gets cut, Geoff travels to Germany in order to further his research in a new lab.  Upon arriving, he quickly becomes involved in what could be one of the greatest biological discoveries to ever be developed.

The plot begins as hard science fiction, but slowly mutates into a dark thriller.  We know that Geoff is haunted by the death of his son, but we don’t really know how this is going to play into the overall story.  We’re introduced to Rebekka (Karoline Herfurth) who is one of Geoff’s colleagues and the obvious love interest.  She is the one who made the initial discovery of this genetic breakthrough, but it’s clear from the onset that she’s hiding something.  Then we have Jarek, played by Tómas Lemarquis who nails the role as the mad scientist of the story. It’s evident that all these pieces are somehow related, but it isn’t until much later in the film do we see how it all fits.

It’s this piecing together of the puzzle that makes this film so enjoyable to watch.  There’s a strong mystery element at work, with Geoff trying to uncover the secrets held within this lab.  Every step that brings him close to the truth also seems to bring him closer to madness.  At the beginning of the film we see him as a soft-spoken, slightly introverted individual, but by the climax, he’s become violent and erratic.  This drastic transformation in his character is understandable, considering what he’s going through, however it still felt a little over the top.

As with any medical-based science fiction films, a large element is the level of intelligence and knowledge brought into the story.  This can prove to be a difficult task and could easily cause the film to suffer if not handled properly.  There’s the threat of the film being entirely too technical and jargon-filled, which could intimidate and confuse viewers, or it could go the opposite direction and feel dumb and insulting.  Fortunately, Errors finds a happy medium by feeling intelligent without making us feel like idiots for not knowing what they are doing in the lab.  There’s no needless exposition either, because in the end, it’s not about the technical side of things.

This is a film about redemption and obsession.  It’s a smart thriller with a tight script that keeps things moving and keeps the viewers thinking on their feet.  Though the behavior of some of the characters seemed a little too theatrical, this is still an easy film to recommend to fans of science fiction thrillers.