If you still get a thrill out of The Blob and find yourself re-watching John Carpenter’s The Thing every time it’s repeated on TV, then Splinter will be just your kind of horror.
The plot revolves around a young couple, nerdy biologist Seth and firecracker Polly, getting carjacked by a dangerous convict and his drug addict girlfriend. When they run over a strange infected animal that takes the car out of action, the group seek shelter in a seemingly abandoned petrol station, where they quickly find themselves under attack by a horrifying parasitic creature that appears to live on the bodies of the dead.
British director Toby Wilkins’ debut is a B-movie cult in the making. There are no big name stars and the story is very ‘paint-by-numbers’, but the energy of the performances, the clever editing (except the 28 Days Later… shaky camera bits), and the nods to its filmic past, make it a fantastic fright flick.
The DVD and Blu-ray edition also include a host of extras that will be of interest to any budding horror movie-makers, including features on the special effects and the making of the creature.
Oh, and if you don’t like gore, watch out for the Stanley knife scene.
Released March 27
