





























© NL Beeld
0 / 30 Fotos
'Frankenstein' (1931)
- The ultimate "humans playing God" story, 'Frankenstein' is a classic science fiction horror film that touches on this subject. Of course, it owes is existence to Mary Shelley's iconic novel 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.'
© NL Beeld
1 / 30 Fotos
'Godzilla' (1954)
- Godzilla is essentially a giant prehistoric creature awakened by nuclear radiation. The plot has been used in numerous movies ever since.
© NL Beeld
2 / 30 Fotos
'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011)
- A chimpanzee gains human-like characteristics after being given an experimental new drug. He then revolts!
© NL Beeld
3 / 30 Fotos
'28 Days Later' (2003)
- In this film, medical research lab monkeys are released by animal rights activists and spread a virus that turns people into zombies.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
'I Am Legend' (2007)
- A scientist (Will Smith) is immune to a man-made virus that wipes out most humans. He then attempts to find an antidote, using his own blood.
© NL Beeld
5 / 30 Fotos
'Jurassic Park' (1993)
- Who thought it would be a good idea to bring dinosaurs back from the dead, really? The film is based on Michael Crichton's novel of the same name.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
'Jurassic World' (2015)
- A park with genetically-engineered dinosaurs is probably not the safest tourist attraction, right?
© NL Beeld
7 / 30 Fotos
'The Fly' (1958)
- This 1958 movie is about a fly entering a molecular transporter device, ending up sharing its DNA with that of a scientist.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
'Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams' (2002)
- A mysterious island, a genetic scientist, shrunken animals, and kids. Sounds like a good recipe for a movie, right?
© NL Beeld
9 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Dr. Moreau' (1977)
- Starring Burt Lancaster and Michael York, this adaptation of H.G. Wells' story is also noteworthy. A shipwreck survivor ends up on an island where a mad scientist does experiments on inhabitants.
© NL Beeld
10 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Dr. Moreau' (1996)
- This more modern version of H.G. Wells' novel is also worth a watch. It stars Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Fairuza Balk.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
'Brainstorm' (1983)
- Researchers develop a machine that is able to read people's minds and translate their thought processes to videotape. Soon this new technology starts being used for the wrong purposes. 'Brainstorm' would be Natalie Wood's final film, as she tragically died during a break in production.
© NL Beeld
12 / 30 Fotos
'Deep Blue Sea' (1999)
- A team of researchers are genetically modifying shark brains in the search for the cure for Alzheimer's disease... but then the sharks hunt down the scientists! Despite that description, this movie actually featured an all-star cast that included Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Rapaport, and LL Cool J.
© NL Beeld
13 / 30 Fotos
'Mimic' (1997)
- Scientists breed a new insect to deal with New York’s cockroach problem, but things don't go was expected. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film features the likes of Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, F. Murray Abraham, and Norman Reedus in the cast.
© NL Beeld
14 / 30 Fotos
'Splice' (2009)
- Scientists mix human DNA with animal DNA, and create a scary human hybrid in the process. The film stars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and Delphine Chanéac.
© NL Beeld
15 / 30 Fotos
'Hollow Man' (2000)
- A scientist goes mad after developing an invisibility serum. The film stars the likes of Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, and Kim Dickens.
© NL Beeld
16 / 30 Fotos
'The Day of the Dolphin' (1973)
- Based on the 1967 French novel of the same name and starring George C. Scott, in this film a marine biologist trains dolphins to speak and understand the English language. The mammals are then kidnapped, with the aim of being used to assassinate the President of the United States.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
'Kingdom of the Spiders' (1977)
- A veterinarian (William Shatner) tries to save his town from hundreds of killing tarantulas that are migrating through town after being sprayed with pesticides.
© NL Beeld
18 / 30 Fotos
'Antiviral' (2012)
- Celebrity-obsessed fans are given the virus their favorite celebs have been infected with, so that they can feel closer to them. What could go wrong with spreading viruses, right? This may sound like a B movie, but it stars the likes of Sarah Gadon, Malcolm McDowell, and Wendy Crewson, and premiered at Cannes.
© NL Beeld
19 / 30 Fotos
'Re-Animator' (1985)
- This movie is about med students experimenting with the reanimation of dead tissue. It goes without saying that things didn't go well!
© NL Beeld
20 / 30 Fotos
'From Beyond' (1986)
- A scientist experiments with the brain and finds a way to a parallel universe. This movie is loosely based on the short story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft.
© NL Beeld
21 / 30 Fotos
'Them!' (1954)
- Nuclear tests in the New Mexican desert create radiation-mutated gigantic ants. How scary would they be in real life, right?
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
'Black Sheep' (2006)
- Genetic engineering gone wrong creates bloodthirsty killer sheep. A must-watch for comedy-horror lovers!
© NL Beeld
23 / 30 Fotos
'The Ape' (1940)
- Research for a polio cure goes wrong. A mad scientist kills an ape and wears its body as a suit and goes on a killing spree! Based off Adam Hull Shirk's play of the same name.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
'The Food of the Gods' (1976)
- A strange, edible substance appears on a remote Canadian island. The animals that eat it become massive and attack people. The movie is based on a section of the 1904 H. G. Wells novel 'The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth.'
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
'The Wasp Woman' (1959)
- A youth formula made out of queen wasps is produced by a cosmetics executive. It turn out the beauty formula has the power to transform a woman into a vicious wasp!
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Lost Souls' (1933)
- This movie adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel is about a mad scientist who experiments on animals and tries to turn them into humans. It stars Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
'The Fly' (1986)
- Like the 1958 film, a fly accidently gets into a transportation machine and the scientist (Jeff Goldblum) finds himself turning into hybrid monster.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
'Monkey Shines' (1988)
- A man gets a trained monkey after he becomes quadriplegic following an accident. It goes without saying that things don't go smoothly between the two... Sources: (Rotten Tomatoes) (IMDb) See also: The most disturbing human experiments in US history
© NL Beeld
29 / 30 Fotos
© NL Beeld
0 / 30 Fotos
'Frankenstein' (1931)
- The ultimate "humans playing God" story, 'Frankenstein' is a classic science fiction horror film that touches on this subject. Of course, it owes is existence to Mary Shelley's iconic novel 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.'
© NL Beeld
1 / 30 Fotos
'Godzilla' (1954)
- Godzilla is essentially a giant prehistoric creature awakened by nuclear radiation. The plot has been used in numerous movies ever since.
© NL Beeld
2 / 30 Fotos
'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011)
- A chimpanzee gains human-like characteristics after being given an experimental new drug. He then revolts!
© NL Beeld
3 / 30 Fotos
'28 Days Later' (2003)
- In this film, medical research lab monkeys are released by animal rights activists and spread a virus that turns people into zombies.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
'I Am Legend' (2007)
- A scientist (Will Smith) is immune to a man-made virus that wipes out most humans. He then attempts to find an antidote, using his own blood.
© NL Beeld
5 / 30 Fotos
'Jurassic Park' (1993)
- Who thought it would be a good idea to bring dinosaurs back from the dead, really? The film is based on Michael Crichton's novel of the same name.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
'Jurassic World' (2015)
- A park with genetically-engineered dinosaurs is probably not the safest tourist attraction, right?
© NL Beeld
7 / 30 Fotos
'The Fly' (1958)
- This 1958 movie is about a fly entering a molecular transporter device, ending up sharing its DNA with that of a scientist.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
'Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams' (2002)
- A mysterious island, a genetic scientist, shrunken animals, and kids. Sounds like a good recipe for a movie, right?
© NL Beeld
9 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Dr. Moreau' (1977)
- Starring Burt Lancaster and Michael York, this adaptation of H.G. Wells' story is also noteworthy. A shipwreck survivor ends up on an island where a mad scientist does experiments on inhabitants.
© NL Beeld
10 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Dr. Moreau' (1996)
- This more modern version of H.G. Wells' novel is also worth a watch. It stars Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Fairuza Balk.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
'Brainstorm' (1983)
- Researchers develop a machine that is able to read people's minds and translate their thought processes to videotape. Soon this new technology starts being used for the wrong purposes. 'Brainstorm' would be Natalie Wood's final film, as she tragically died during a break in production.
© NL Beeld
12 / 30 Fotos
'Deep Blue Sea' (1999)
- A team of researchers are genetically modifying shark brains in the search for the cure for Alzheimer's disease... but then the sharks hunt down the scientists! Despite that description, this movie actually featured an all-star cast that included Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Rapaport, and LL Cool J.
© NL Beeld
13 / 30 Fotos
'Mimic' (1997)
- Scientists breed a new insect to deal with New York’s cockroach problem, but things don't go was expected. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film features the likes of Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, F. Murray Abraham, and Norman Reedus in the cast.
© NL Beeld
14 / 30 Fotos
'Splice' (2009)
- Scientists mix human DNA with animal DNA, and create a scary human hybrid in the process. The film stars Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and Delphine Chanéac.
© NL Beeld
15 / 30 Fotos
'Hollow Man' (2000)
- A scientist goes mad after developing an invisibility serum. The film stars the likes of Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, and Kim Dickens.
© NL Beeld
16 / 30 Fotos
'The Day of the Dolphin' (1973)
- Based on the 1967 French novel of the same name and starring George C. Scott, in this film a marine biologist trains dolphins to speak and understand the English language. The mammals are then kidnapped, with the aim of being used to assassinate the President of the United States.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
'Kingdom of the Spiders' (1977)
- A veterinarian (William Shatner) tries to save his town from hundreds of killing tarantulas that are migrating through town after being sprayed with pesticides.
© NL Beeld
18 / 30 Fotos
'Antiviral' (2012)
- Celebrity-obsessed fans are given the virus their favorite celebs have been infected with, so that they can feel closer to them. What could go wrong with spreading viruses, right? This may sound like a B movie, but it stars the likes of Sarah Gadon, Malcolm McDowell, and Wendy Crewson, and premiered at Cannes.
© NL Beeld
19 / 30 Fotos
'Re-Animator' (1985)
- This movie is about med students experimenting with the reanimation of dead tissue. It goes without saying that things didn't go well!
© NL Beeld
20 / 30 Fotos
'From Beyond' (1986)
- A scientist experiments with the brain and finds a way to a parallel universe. This movie is loosely based on the short story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft.
© NL Beeld
21 / 30 Fotos
'Them!' (1954)
- Nuclear tests in the New Mexican desert create radiation-mutated gigantic ants. How scary would they be in real life, right?
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
'Black Sheep' (2006)
- Genetic engineering gone wrong creates bloodthirsty killer sheep. A must-watch for comedy-horror lovers!
© NL Beeld
23 / 30 Fotos
'The Ape' (1940)
- Research for a polio cure goes wrong. A mad scientist kills an ape and wears its body as a suit and goes on a killing spree! Based off Adam Hull Shirk's play of the same name.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
'The Food of the Gods' (1976)
- A strange, edible substance appears on a remote Canadian island. The animals that eat it become massive and attack people. The movie is based on a section of the 1904 H. G. Wells novel 'The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth.'
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
'The Wasp Woman' (1959)
- A youth formula made out of queen wasps is produced by a cosmetics executive. It turn out the beauty formula has the power to transform a woman into a vicious wasp!
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
'The Island of Lost Souls' (1933)
- This movie adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel is about a mad scientist who experiments on animals and tries to turn them into humans. It stars Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
'The Fly' (1986)
- Like the 1958 film, a fly accidently gets into a transportation machine and the scientist (Jeff Goldblum) finds himself turning into hybrid monster.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
'Monkey Shines' (1988)
- A man gets a trained monkey after he becomes quadriplegic following an accident. It goes without saying that things don't go smoothly between the two... Sources: (Rotten Tomatoes) (IMDb) See also: The most disturbing human experiments in US history
© NL Beeld
29 / 30 Fotos
Movies about experiments gone wrong
When playing God backfires
© NL Beeld
It's safe to say that a great deal of things have been achieved through experiments. Indeed, science has reached many breakthroughs through trial and error. But while many times testing is the only solution, there are a number of ethical aspects that come into play and should be considered. Science is full of horrific experiments gone wrong, and this is exactly what many movies are about.
In this gallery, you'll find a list of movies about what can go wrong when humans try to play God. Click on to discover your next watch!
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