Release Date: March 31, 2006
MPAA Rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, and language
Written and Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Rheagan Wallace, Tania Saulnier
Plot:
The sleepy town of Wheelsy could be any small town in America--somewhat quaint and gentle, peopled with friendly folks who mind their own business. But just beneath the surface charm, something unnamed and evil has arrived and is growing. No one seems to notice as telephone poles become clogged with missing pet flyers, or when one of the town's richest citizens, Grant Grant, begins to act strangely. But when farmers livestock turn up horribly mutilated and a young woman goes missing, Sheriff Bill Pardy and his team, aided by Grant's wife Starla, uncover the dark force laying siege to their town and come face-to-face with an older-than-time organism intent on absorbing and devouring all life on Earth.
Review:
Written and Directed by James Gunn, Slither is a disgusting, entertaining and funny film. James Gunn wrote the screenplay for 2004's Dawn of the Dead which I found to be a poorly made film with a flawed script. With Slither, Gunn has made a film that has funny dialogue moments and a pace that will keep you interested the entire way through. Slither isn't just only that, but its actually solid filmmaking in the horror genre.
Horror films with a spice of comedy has been done before and one of the successes was Shaun of the Dead. While Slither isn't close to being as comedic as Shaun of the Dead, it still offers a few chuckles. In Slither a man by the name of Grant Grant who is played by Michael Rooker becomes infected when a creature enters his body. It continues to make him ill and he becomes larger and deformed because of this. He becomes a creature himself and begins to infect most of the town and this is how this adventure begins.
Slither is gross and its mildly funny, but it certainly is entertaining. This film is original in its own sense and is a homage of other classic horror films. From the trailers, one could have predicted for Slither to be garbage or just another silly campy horror film, but its actually a notch above average. Slither also knows what it is and it was never intended to be a completely solid film or the best film of the year, it ultimately serves its part and speaking for horror that is definitely surprising.
A lot of what is always lacking in horror films is good acting and Slither actually has that. Along with Michael Rooker, the film stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks and Gregg Henry to name a few. All of them delivered believable performances to say the least which is a breath of fresh air. The actors reactions and facial expressions are on the spot, but Slither is never particularly scary or frightening. While witnessing this film, you don't really feel threatened or will jump out of your seat, its more about a fun thrill ride.
What is also to be enjoyed in Slither is that it actually unfolds a bit of background on its characters and a bit of the attack of an alien plague is discussed. However, the audience will not receive much about how this all began because Slither mainly focuses on its fast paced ride in destroying the zombies and creatures. There is one death in this film that is brutal and unexpected and that is certainly the most memorable death, but of course I won't give it away.
Slither is a surprisingly enjoyable film and here I am now recommending it. For horror this is a good entry into a genre that has always been labeled the worst along with comedies, silly comedies to be exact. This film is predictable, but its more about the experience than what it will become in its conclusion. With solid acting, a pace that will never bore and a few clever and funny moments, Slither can stand proud that it didn't fall deep into a pit mediocrity.
