Polly and Seth had planned a nice anniversary camping trip. So when they accidentally break their tent, and then get carjacked while searching for a motel, they probably think their day has hit rock bottom.
Unfortunately for them, they are in a horror movie, and things can still get considerably worse; as the attendant at the gas station they are about to pull into recently found out ...
Splinter is a low budget but by no means low effort monster movie. It has a solid cast; decent, mostly practical, effects - which the director protects from too much exposure with some occasionally annoying rapidly shifting camera work; and at a lean 82 minutes it maintains momentum and engagement.
The movie I kept thinking of while watching Splinter is John Carpenter's The Thing. The details are very different, mind you, and the tone is much less one of paranoia and much more about direct action. But the basic situation - a small group who distrust each other in an isolated location, under threat from a creature that can warp human flesh - certainly contains a strong echo.
I'm pleased that this is not a slavish homage like say Harbinger Down was, though. Splinter reminded me of The Thing without feeling like a lesser echo of it. It's a film with its own sense of identity and a reasonably consistent and coherent narrative, provided one accepts the core conceit of the monster.
If you like monster movies, and particularly if you liked The Thing, this movie is worth your time.
No comments:
Post a Comment