Aberration (film)

Lore & Background

The plot follows Amy Harding (Pamela Gidley), who moves into her old family cabin in Langdon with her cat Frankie, a large sum of money, and her belongings. She soon encounters slimy residue and learns from a neighbor, Mr. Peterson, that his dog was killed by an unseen creature. Local field researcher Marshall Clarke (Simon Bossell) investigates the disappearance of wildlife and teams up with Amy after her car breaks down. They discover the cabin is infested with mutant geckos that spit blinding venom to paralyze prey. After killing one, they attempt to flee but crash during a snowstorm, eventually taking refuge in Amy's cabin. Marshall is blinded by venom, and Amy kills lizards by drowning and electrocution before destroying their eggs. The next morning, Amy's ex-boyfriend Uri Romanov (Valery Nikolaev) arrives, revealing Amy's real name is Alex and that she fled with money he claims is his. After a struggle, Uri is eaten by hatching lizards, and Amy shoots him. Amy and Marshall burn the cabin and escape in Uri's car, which becomes infested with lizards. Marshall blows up the car with a cigar thrown into the gas tank. They reach a general store, where Mrs. Miller helps remove a lizard from Amy's leg. The lizard kills Mrs. Miller, but Amy shoots it with a flare gun, and the two collapse and kiss.

Reader's Guide

Aberration is a low-budget horror film that has garnered a mixed critical reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received three reviews: one positive and two negative. Positive reviews from outlets such as News of the World called it 'absolutely excellent entertainment,' while Video World described it as 'a rampaging, monster-packed, jugular-piercing fear flick.' Negative criticism came from efilmcritic.com, which called it 'one long dull boring film.' The film's significance lies in its status as a rare, hard-to-find title. It was released on VHS in the United States on 30 March 1999 by Artisan Entertainment and in the UK on 3 August 1998 by Marquee Pictures, but never on DVD in those countries. DVD releases occurred in Japan (22 December 2000), France, Norway, and Germany (15 May 2012, titled 'Echsenjagd'). Its obscurity and creature-feature appeal have made it a curiosity for horror collectors.

Did You Know?

• The film was shot in New Zealand but set in the United States.
• The mutant geckos in the film can spit blinding venom to paralyze prey.
• The film has never been released on DVD in the United States or the United Kingdom.
• The cat Frankie was played by a cat named Merlin The Cat.

Narrative & Survival

The film follows Amy Harding (Pamela Gidley), a woman who relocates to her childhood cabin in the wooded town of Langdon, bringing along her cat Frankie, a large sum of cash, and all her personal effects. What begins as a quiet attempt to make the old place livable quickly spirals into a nightmare when she encounters a slimy, unidentified substance and discovers her cat has been devoured. The creatures are revealed to be mutant geckos capable of spitting paralyzing venom. The narrative escalates when Amy's ex-boyfriend Uri Romanov (Valery Nikolaev) shows up, revealing that her real name is Alex Langdon and that she fled him with money he claims belongs to him. The story weaves together creature-horror survival with a personal vendetta, culminating in Amy and the local researcher Marshall Clarke (Simon Bossell) destroying the cabin, blowing up a car to kill the lizards, and ultimately extracting a creature that had burrowed into Amy's leg at the general store.

Cast & Character Dynamics

Pamela Gidley anchors the film as Amy Harding, a character whose identity is later revealed to be Alex Langdon, a woman who fled her past with a substantial amount of money. Simon Bossell plays Marshall Clarke, an eccentric animal biologist and field researcher investigating local wildlife disappearances who stumbles upon the slimy residue left by the creatures. Valery Nikolaev brings menace as Uri Romanov, Amy's ex-boyfriend who tracks her down and insists the money she took is rightfully his. Supporting roles include Helen Moulder as Mrs. Miller, the general store owner who lends Amy a poison sprayer, and Norman Forsey as Mr. Peterson, a neighbor searching for his dog Florence who warns Amy to leave Langdon immediately. The cast also credits a real cat named Merlin as Frankie, Amy's feline companion whose fate serves as an early harbinger of the danger lurking in the cabin. Frank Welker is credited for the gecko sound effects.

Production & Filming

Directed by Tim Boxell, Aberration is a 1997 horror film that presents an interesting production contrast: the story is set in the United States, specifically in a wooded town called Langdon, yet the entire production was shot in New Zealand. This trans-Pacific production choice gives the film a distinct visual texture while maintaining its American small-town setting. The runtime is approximately ninety-three minutes, a detail one critic specifically referenced when describing the film's pacing. The creature effects center on mutant geckos—small, amphibious lizards that can spit blinding venom to paralyze prey before devouring them. The film blends creature-feature horror with survival elements, featuring set pieces like a snowstorm trapping the protagonists, a cabin explosion, a car detonation, and a final confrontation at a general store. The production's practical approach to its lizard creatures, combined with the New Zealand locations, gives the film a grounded, tactile quality that distinguishes it from more digitally-driven creature films of the era.

Reception & Home Video Scarcity

Aberration received a mixed critical response upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds three reviews with one positive and two negative. Praise came from publications like the News of the World, which called it absolutely excellent entertainment and a startling, scary, cheeky treat, while Video World described it as a rampaging, monster-packed, jugular-piercing fear flick. Starburst highlighted the gore galore and intriguing creature-feature qualities. However, efilmcritic.com dismissed it as one long dull boring film spanning its ninety-three-minute runtime. The film's home video legacy is notably frustrating for fans. It received a US VHS release on March 30, 1999, through Artisan Entertainment, and a UK VHS release on August 3, 1998, via Marquee Pictures. Despite this, the film has never been released on DVD in either the United States or the United Kingdom. DVDs appeared in Japan in 2000, in France, in Norway, and in Germany in 2012 under the title Echsenjagd. Today, the film is described as almost impossible to find, cementing its status as a cult curiosity.