When you compare how certain film makers predicted what used to be the future with actual history, you might find that most such predictions missed their mark by being too dark or apocalyptic. One of the examples is Split Second, 1992 British science fiction horror film directed by Tony Maylam.
The plot is set in 2008 London, at the time when global warming caused most of the city to be flooded and torrential rains forcing citizens to live in almost perpetual darkness. This also resulted in massive rat infestation, diseases and rise of violence which, in turn, turned previously civic-minded police force into institution as violent and gun crazy as their transatlantic counterparts. One of its most extreme members is Detective Harley Stone (played by Rutger Hauer), whose life revolves around cigarettes, coffee and bad food. Recently, a vicious serial killer has begun targetting Londoners and ripping their hearts out. Stone appears to have something of a connection with the killer and the investigation gets additionally personal because he blames killer for the death of his partner Foster McLaine (played by Steven Hartley). Stone feels the guilt himself because he had an affair with Foster’s widow Michelle (played by Kim Cattrall) who conveniently arrived to London to remind of his bad conscience. As body count increases, Stone’s boss Trasher (played by Alun Armstrong) pairs Stone with Oxford-educated Detective Dick Durkin (played by Neil Duncan) who prefers more subtle and analytical methods of investigation than Stone, who simply want to blow the killer away with heavy guns.
Script was written by Gary Scott Thompson, American screenwriter best known for creating The Fast and the Furious, and originally set in contemporary Los Angeles. Similarities with occult thriller The First Power forced Thompson to change setting to futuristic London. As the result, Split Second was made with relatively limited budget that forced director Maylam to shoot most of the scenes indoors and at the sets, being unable to depict large-scale flooding of British capital. The film nevertheless works, and mostly thanks to its main star Rutger Hauer. Character of Stone is collection of cliches and poorly considered ideas (like the authors not bothering to explain why would British policeman speak with American accent), but Rutger Hauer is wonderful even when he works with obviously inferior material. Hauer appears in the film as typically 1980s macho protagonist with leather trench coat and reflecting glasses he wears even at night. He carries the film on his shoulders, but also reminds audience of his much better known role in Blade Runner and the inevitable comparisons are predictably devastating for the 1992 film. Film also features a lot of style, and plenty of exploitation content which includes shoot outs, extreme violence, gore and some nudity (including scene in which mostly underused Kim Cattrall appears topless). Hauer’s efforts are well-matched with Scottish actor Neil Duncan, who develops good “buddy buddy” chemistry and works as something close to comic relief. But, the content of the film is actually very thin – dystopian premise of ecological disaster in near future looks like an afterthought, most characters are one-dimensional and all seriousness is sacrificed for the cheap use of occult and supernatural themes. Split Second had troubled production, with Maylam being psychologically exhausted and forced to leave direction to Ian Sharp, who finished the rest of film, including disappointing finale in which the main villain is revealed to be monster very much like in Alien. Split Second nevertheless provides sufficient levels of entertainment for less demanding fans of B-cinema, as well as Rutger Hauer’s fans, but the rest of the audience won’t have many reasons to feel bad if it misses this film.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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