Sci-Fi Horror Thriller Resurrects Classic Story In Totally Original Way, Stream Immediately Without Netflix

Centered on a classic resurrection plot, Subject Two introduces us to Adam, a frustrated medical student on the verge of getting kicked out of his ethics class for not taking his studies seriously.

Though we don’t know much about his personal life, it’s apparent that he suffers from violent headaches requiring him to carry his medication on his person at all times. In his spare time, he publishes a medical blog, but it’s clear that he doesn’t have a huge following or online presence. 

There is one person interested in Adam’s research, however, and he goes by the name of Dr. Franklin Vick.

After receiving a mysterious phone call inviting him to assist Dr. Vick with some undisclosed medical research that he may find compelling, Adam packs his bags and meets the doctor.

Subject Two quickly removes us from Adam’s apartment and brings him to a remote cabin where the rest of the film takes place. 

Dr. Vick wastes no time in telling Adam his intention to carry out human trials for his resurrection experiments, which will cure his headaches and make him stronger than ever.

Adam catches onto the fact that this isn’t the first time Dr. Vick has performed human trials in this context, as Dr. Vick keeps referring to him as Subject Two while documenting his experiment. Learning from his mistakes with Subject One, who is still buried in the snow outside of the cabin, Dr. Vick is sure he finally cracked the code to immortality. 

What sets Subject Two’s storytelling apart from other resurrection plots is that Adam continually experiences several side effects in the form of seizures and a heightened sense of pain.

Dr. Vick does what any self-respecting mad scientist would do in this situation and repeatedly kills Adam so he can continue to refine his serum.

As Adam loses track of weeks and months while undergoing this torturous experiment, Dr. Vick removes every single human trait (like feeling pain) from his physical being, making him a living, breathing shell of his former self. 

Though Subject Two is lacking in the special effects department, it’s still an engaging adaptation because it leans more into the human aspect of the story set forth in Frankenstein.

Adam’s level of self-awareness makes the entire ordeal painful to watch because he is witnessing his humanity progressively slip away. As he struggles to come to terms with his own demise, an unexpected twist in the third act catches you off guard when the truth about Subject One is finally revealed. 

Subject Two is an ambitious B-movie that plays with the concept of “could versus should” in the context of medical experimentation.

Though the film has obvious limitations that landed it a 55 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s a refreshing take on Frankenstein that hadn’t been explored until its release.

But the story’s simple premise is actually elevated by the lack of resources that went into its creation, as the single location in which the film was primarily shot adds a profound sense of loneliness and desperation that couldn’t have otherwise been realized with a bigger production.

When it comes to low-budget exercises in mad scientist experimentation, Subject Two raises a number of philosophical questions while keeping the viewer engaged.

If anything, it’s a solid way to spend the evening if you find yourself scrolling through Tubi’s catalog looking for an unsettling R-rated, Frankenstein-inspired horror film that will make you never want to trek into the woods alone.