In the 2017 short film Zygote, produced by Oats Studios and directed by Neill Blomkamp, the Zygote is a terrifying and grotesque creature that serves as the main antagonist. It has a distorted, grotesque appearance with an amalgamation of human and alien features, including multiple limbs, exposed organs, and a constantly shifting, pulsating surface. The origin of the creature is left ambigious.
Description[]
The Zygote is depicted as an enormous creature, approximately nine feet tall in its current form. Its body is composed of a disturbing amalgamation of human and alien corpse cells and parts. Its "legs" are a combination of various arms and legs from its victims, with one "hand" transforming into multiple smaller hands and the other evolving into a spear-like protrusion used for attacking and killing. The creature has numerous additional hands and arms sprouting from its body, while its "head" is formed from a torso covered with numerous eyes around the waist. Although it appears to lack a mouth, it can produce a human-like screech.
By the end of the film, it is suggested that the Zygote incorporates the remains of 97 humans into its mass. Each human it absorbs increases its intelligence, as the Zygote also takes in the knowledge and memories of its victims along with their physical traits.
Trivia[]
- As revealed in the Behind-the-Scenes feature of the short film, the Zygote first arrived on Earth between 2040 and 2050, following a series of colossal meteor strikes that devastated North America, including parts of the USA, Canada, and the Arctic Circle. These meteor impacts introduced alien materials and metals to the planet, and it is believed that the Zygote arrived alongside them.
- The name "Zygote" references the biological term for the first cell created when two gametes (sperm and egg) combine during fertilization, highlighting the creature's capacity to assimilate its victims.
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