Splinter (2008)

The horror film Splinter is set to get under your skin and snap crackle pop it’s way out. Things start out simple enough; a couple, Polly (Jill Wagner) and Seth (Paulo Costanzo) attempt to go camping but have some bad luck and head for a hotel. On the way they get caught up with a criminal couple, Dennis (Shea Whigham) and Lacey (Rachel Kerbs) who take them hostage and hijack their car. After a run in with some splintered road kill that flattens a tire and punctures the radiator they all wind up stranded at a deserted gas station.

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The stage is set, this splintery fungus, which punctures and consumes the body and earlier attacked the gas attendant makes it’s self-known. Poor strung out Lacey is attacked and devoured becoming the next splintered Monster. Now trapped in the station’s confined convenience store, Polly, Seth and Dennis have to work together to survive.

Keeping the setting simple really helped to create a strong sense of tension. The monster attacks were creative and chilling fun. Though the use of flashy quick cuts takes away from the actual creature, you’re never getting a solid sight at its gruesomeness. The splinters completely take over a body, twisting and contorting it and seeing after the person after the transformation on would have been cool. One of the best sights of the splinter monster comes when pieces of it are broken off and it still attacks. A vicious hand stump is skittering around causing some trouble on it’s own. (Think of an evil THING, ala Adam’s Family.) Director Toby Wilkins managed to make that dangerous little stump very creepy and scary.

A refreshing aspect to Splinter is the time they took to actually develop these characters as they are fighting for their lives. Polly and Seth had some sweet couple interaction in the beginning and bad boy Dennis turns out to be kinda good. It was a good change of pace before the next set of attacks kicked in. And when you care of about people on screen it does make more of an impact when they’re suffering and in distress. Yes, story and plot is good!

The only complaints, which are minor of course, would be a few silly moments when our heroes just make goofy choices and the intro of sheriff is just for the purpose of monster cannon fodder. But then that’s part of the horror standard sometimes.

Splinter’s straightforward approach delivers a fresh, energetic and original horror film, setting itself far apart from the usual PG-13 fare that’s all flash and empty filler. And the bonus to Splinter, too, is you’re going to get your fill of gore and gross outs along the way.

Toby Wilkins deserves major props for putting horror back into horror films and here’s hoping he can deliver it again soon.