Yesterday
I was traversing the horror collection on Netflix and came across an
interesting film from 2008 named Splinter. After reading some very positive
comments from horror fans I decided to check it out!Splinter is a creature feature/SciFi horror, directed by Toby Wilkins, which unfortunately skipped a theatrical release, instead going straight to DVD. I know your probably rolling your eyes but stay with me on this as Splinter is a surprisingly entertaining little gem.
The
film is primarily set in the single location of a small gas station in
Oklahoma, US. A
young romantic couple (Seth, Polly) are trying to find a motel after their
unsuccessful camping attempt. Meanwhile an escaped convict and his partner
(Dennis, Lacey) are on the run needing a vehicle. Seth and Polly are soon
hijacked and kept hostage by Dennis and his drugged girlfriend. Before long the
couples are forced to stop at a seemingly empty gas station. To her horror,
Lacey finds a half dead man in the restrooms, begging to to killed. The man's
limbs grossly distorted and strange "spines" protruding from his
skin. Dennis, believing its the drugs talking, dismisses her before Lacey is
viciously attacked by the now feral man (if you can call him human). Just
minutes after, Lacey's corpse begins to move, eventually splicing itself with
the other creature. Now with the remaining three trapped inside the gas
station, the group must figure out what the hell the thing is and most importantly,
how to escape!
Considering
this is a low budget release, the effects are great, with plenty of gore to
keep those gorehounds happy! The cast also do a fantastic job, with good
character development early in the film and some interesting character dynamics
amongst the group. There are clearly some nods to John Carpenter's The Thing
and even the Re-animator, with themes of assimilation and resurrecting corpses.
The origins of the creature, (first seen in the opening of the film), are
never explained, this may frustrate some viewers, though personally I much
prefer it that way. My only complaints with the film are that it doesn't really
deliver when it comes to outright scares, though some of the more gruesome
scenes did force me to look away! Also some of the more action focused scenes
revealing the creature, relied a little too heavily on "Shaky cam", making it a little hard to distinguish what was happening at times.
Overall
though, I found Splinter a thoroughly entertaining film. If you like your
creature features and gore, then this is definitely for you!
4/5
