Every young fan of the X-Men knows the hazards facing a subspecies. The moral consequence of building a conscious entity that might be ostracized or objectified (for research, labor, or organs) has been visited time and time again in speculative fiction. Yet, transhumanists see engineered evolution as our genetic destiny. Billy Senese's first feature, Closer to God, makes no bones about its position. Essentially an update of Frankenstein, it follows the doomed path of a well-meaning genetic scientist (appropriately named Victor) who brings home a perfect clone baby. As Bible-rattling activists gather outside, we learn that a failed experiment also resides inside. Dark and emotionally taut, Closer to God benefits from the less-is-more Jaws school of monsters, using a psychologically ominous score and maddening screams to suggest what's hidden behind door No. 2 before the desperate confrontation between creation and creator.
Closer to God plays at 9:15 p.m. through July 9 at the Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F. $10; 415-863-1087 or roxie.com.
415-863-1087
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