Slither (2006) review

13. Slither (2006)

Directed by: James Gunn

Produced by: Paul Brooks, Eric Newman

Screenplay by: James Gunn

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker

Before wowing audiences with his adaptation of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” filmmaker James Gunn cut his teeth in the horror department, first assisting Lloyd Kaufman in Troma Entertainment and then penning the screenplay for Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead.” In 2006, he got his chance to direct and came out with “Slither,” a horror comedy about a small town in South Carolina that’s invaded by an alien parasite that turns people into zombies. It might sound like a rip-off of “Night of the Creeps”—in fact, there was apparently controversy on the subject back then—but the story is very different. Despite being a box office flop, it’s gained a fan base, and in my opinion, is one of the better genre films of the decade; the humor and special effects are top-notch.

In the redneck community of Wheelsy, South Carolina, a meteorite containing the parasite crashes and is discovered by the wealthy Grant Grant (Michael Rooker)—no, that’s not a typo, that’s his actual name—whose body it takes over, slowly turning him into a grotesque, tentacled monster. He also abducts and infects a women named Brenda (Brenda James) and makes her a breeder for his worm-like offspring, which get loose and start taking over everyone in town, joining him in a collective hive mind. The only exceptions are a select few: Grant’s wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks), police chief Bill (Nathan Fillion), the uselessly foul-mouthed Mayor MacReady (Gregg Henry), and teenager Kylie (Tania Saulnier).

I must admit, the first 30 minutes or so were a pleasant surprise; not only were the sophomoric jokes making me laugh and the characters likeable, but I genuinely didn’t know where the story was going. I figured it was going to be pretty standard with Grant being a pushy, overbearing husband that gets some form of dramatic comeuppance; but when he gets infected, things happen that I didn’t expect, such as the parasite still retaining enough of his personality to acknowledge Starla as a devoted wife, and there’s something really interesting about this thing having some sort of lingering affection for her. Hearing it come out through all the zombies in the hive mind is unexpectedly funny. However, when the slugs get loose, it becomes much more predictable; it’s not bad, as the execution leads to a lot of standout highlights and clever dialogue. The effects, when practical, are outstandingly gross; anything computer-generated, however, looks much less appealing.

The tone of the movie makes it best to look at these characters not so much as people as plot devices; that makes it easier to digest the fact that this is a rather gruesome story, where not even the pets or little children are safe from this carnage. But the performances are all solid; Michael Rooker and his raspy voice are welcomingly nuanced as Grant, Nathan Fillion sells Bill’s sardonic sense of humor, and Elizabeth Banks captures Gunn’s intention of sort of a classic Alfred Hitchcock blonde role a la Grace Kelly or Janet Leigh, although I personally would’ve liked if Starla had a little more agency as a character, rather than make her whole purpose go towards Grant. There’s actually a hinted romantic subplot between her and Bill based on their history together, but it’s mostly downplayed.

Looking at “Slither” now, I’m not sure why it didn’t get more attention when it came out; maybe it just had the misfortune of being released just before the much more hyped “Scary Movie 4” and was viewed as the less popular horror comedy of the year. Well, I think most of us agree that movie was garbage, and this one is quite good; it might not win any prizes for innovation, but it’s just a solid, sick gore fest that never takes itself too seriously, yet doesn’t go straight up goofy either. Gunn apparently told the cast that they were making a funny movie but not a comedy, and the tone hits a nice balance. The tight pacing, complementary set pieces, and snappy dialogue make it much better than your basic bloodbath.

My rating: 8/10