By moving the action to Mexico, the film adopts a "gritty" aesthetic common in mid-2000s direct-to-video horror, focusing on dark labs and isolated villages.
Directed by Nick Lyon, the film was produced by MGM and aired on the Syfy channel. It was generally met with mixed-to-negative reviews, with critics noting its lower budget and departure from the high-concept suspense of the 1995 original. However, it is often cited by fans of the franchise for its practical effects and Helena Mattsson's performance as the conflicted protagonist. Species: The Awakening
The story follows Miranda Hollander (played by Helena Mattsson), a brilliant college professor who discovers she isn't human. After a medical emergency reveals her alien origins, her "uncle" Tom—a scientist who helped create her in a lab—takes her to Mexico to find the colleague who originally designed her. By moving the action to Mexico, the film