(dir. James Gunn)
 |
| Universal Pictures |
A meteorite leaves a small-town victim to parasitic slugs
that take over their hosts' bodies in zombie-like fashion.
People love to make a big deal about how James Gunn went
from directing quirky, cult genre films to Guardians
of the Galaxy, but it’s clear from Slither
that Gunn was always destined to play in a larger, big-budget sandbox. The
earnest emotional quality that spans Gunn’s films is largely what makes Slither such a great watch. Sure, the
practical effects and gross-out gore are an added enticement. But Gunn’s focus
on the emotional connections between these small-town, ironically hunting
obsessed, people elevates the film beyond the standard splatter film tropes.
Every member of the large cast is given a chance to shine,
and when your cast includes Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Miachel Rooker and
a whole host of character actors, that’s an impressive feat in itself. That being said,
Rooker is clearly the standout as the first of the infected and master of the
hive-mind. While audiences are surely no stranger to seeing Rooker as a
villain, he is effortlessly sympathetic in his role as Grant Grant. He’s not so
much a villain but a victim of forces beyond his control. Like the parasites,
he simply is what is. It’s this theme, of people staying true to their inherent nature, that courses through the film. Even in the face of horror and tragedy,
the good-natured cop will remain good-natured, the independent woman will
remain independent, and the control freak will remain controlling though a bit
more freakish.
Scare Factor: 1/5 Effortlessly fun and fantastically gory, Slither earns its cult status and is a
prefect way to break up some of the overwhelming darkness in your standard Halloween
watchlist.
Glad you can appreciate this one. It's a lot of fun.
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