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content/uploads/slither_1.jpg)They don’t make films like Slither any more.
Or perhaps more accurately, they don’t make films like the ones that have
clearly inspired Slither any more. At a time when every recent horror film
seems intent on proving itself to be the most extreme film you’ll ever see (a
fact which Slither mocks in its trailer) James Gunn has created a bona fide,
card-carrying B-movie, and it’s more than happy to show you its impressive
credentials.
Gunn’s directorial debut comes with all your favourite b-movie trimmings and plays out in a style that’s very reminiscent of The Blob (amongst others). Fans should have an enormous amount of fun spotting all the tributes to various genre classics; Slither is wall-to-wall with references, from Videodrome, Predator and The Thing, to the more obvious nods in the direction of Shivers and Night of the Creeps. Much like Scream’s slasher movie handbook, Slither plays by the rules and stays faithful to it’s genre. It’s very, very funny in places - thanks to an above average script and the timing and charisma of its actors (particularly Nathan Fillion, who proves once again that he can hold the screen as well as anyone with the right script) - and its inability to take itself too seriously is a tremendous help. And yet for all of the jokes, it still manages to achieve moments of tension and provide some genuinely unsettling and uncomfortable images. Oh, and the whole thing takes great pleasure in being pretty disgusting too. Another item in the b-movie rule book states that some of the effects must be deeply crappy, and Slither is more than happy to oblige here too. Whilst the makeup effects in general are superb, and there are some great cgi assisted kills, there are one or two effects which look dire. I’m fairly sure this is intentional, but even if it’s not, the feel of the film is such that you can easily accept a few crap effects.
Things take a little while to get started; Gunn doesn’t rush things, and instead lets the film establish the history of its characters and relationships during its first thirty minutes. Michael Rooker and Elizabeth Banks are on screen a lot early on, and Rooker in particular seems to be having a great time. I’ve been a fan of Rooker since Henry and its always a pleasure to see him, especially in a reasonably “meaty” role like this one. Once the ball is rolling, things don’t let up; the final hour of the film doesn’t outstay its welcome, and is superbly paced. Slither doesn’t even have time for long-winded exposition, revealing the invading alien’s origin through a very snappy, hard-hitting flashback scene during one of the films most disturbing sequences. Coming so soon after Silent Hill, it was interesting to note the differences in approach.
Slither is the kind of film you used to discover on DVD. It should almost be forgotten about for a few years so the next generation of genre fans can discover it and revel in its grotesque hilarity. I only wish we had drive-ins here in England, as Slither is just the kind of film I can imagine parking up to see. At the very least it should make for hilarious date movie material, assuming your partner is either a) massively squeamish but good natured enough not to stab you for taking them, and b) massively squeamish, not at all good- natured, but in need of dumping anyway.
I think the highest praise I can bestow upon Slither is this: It’s the first film I’ve seen this year that I could enjoy again straight after the credits rolled. And it’s without doubt the most fun I’ve had in a cinema in a long time.