Splinter

Directed by:Toby Wilkins

Starring:Jill Wagner, Shia Whigham, Paulo Constanza, Rachel Kerbs

Synopsis:A couple venture into the great outdoors for a fun weekend only to be beset by a couple of white trash criminals, on the run. The kidnappers and victims alike meet their fate trapped at a small-town gas station where a horrifying parasite waits to claim them, one by one.



Review:One of my favourite Rock bands, Porcupine Tree, came up with a song that has the lyric “Bite your tongue, ignore the splinter” conjuring up an unsettling image. We can all relate to the sharp pain that comes from a splinter entering our bodies. So, the very thought of a splinter that has a consciousness and ability to hunt us is equally unsettling.

Compared to The Unborn , this is what horror movies should be like. It’s not overly nasty for the more discerning, squeamish viewer but has enough twisted effects to keep horror movie watching veterans satisfied. Sure, it also has cliché moments, but they’re done with style and a knowing glint in the eye.

I was immediately hooked by the interesting creature/parasite of the title and the fact that the gorgeous Jill (Blade the Series, Stargate Atlantis) Wagner is in it. The characters in this movie are well drawn and drive the movie along during the pre-parasite scenes. It’s not overly serious but doesn’t descend into parody. In fact the delicate balance between blood soaked carnage and subtle scares is done very well; from the initial glimpses of splinters doing their thing to the heavily mutated creature towards the end. The only main unbelievable aspect was the fact that Paulo Constanza's character had managed to bag Jill Wagner’s!

Whilst Splinter betrays it’s low budget in the few locations it is filmed at, it more than makes up for it with stylised direction. Whilst The Unborn tends to highlight the visual FX’s inaccuracies through poor direction, Splinter does no such thing. However, I do tire of some of the dodgier shaky-cam shots. Hand-held shaking is getting a bit old hat, now.

Whilst there are always going to be comparisons with other siege stories, I wasn’t reminded too much of other films, apart from The Mist. The creature’s final appearances did remind me of John Carpenter’s The Thing but only in a good way.

Verdict:A solid, entertaining, horror flick worth checking out!

7/10 (Wayfarer)

Check out director Toby Wilkin's own blog, here.