James Gunn is back with his directorial debut, and it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in ages, and what’s even better is that it’s all done with intent.
Michael Rooker plays Grant Grant, a man who adores his younger trophy wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks). Late one night after a heated argument, Grant goes out to a bar and ends up fooling around in the woods with a girl he’s known since his teenage years. The chick comes on too strong and Grant is about to leave when he is infected by an alien parasite. Grant soon begins to undergo changes and quickly mutates into a horrible squid monster with both gooey and funny results. Grant and his army of slimy beasties inevitably begin to infect the other residents of the town of Wheelsy and they soon become zombie like hosts to the parasitic slugs.
The best thing about Slither hands down is James Gunn’s writing. He creates a wonderful environment and fills it full of colourful characters to the delight of the audience. This leads nicely to the cast who were expertly gathered and do a wonderful job at bringing the aforementioned characters to life. Nathan Fillion and Gregg Henry work well against each other and Fillion also manages to have great chemistry with both Elizabeth Banks and Tania Saulnier.
The effects, which were largely practical, are amazing to watch and the gore comes at you quickly, amidst a series of expertly handled horror homages. Be sure also to look out for cameos by Troma head honcho Lloyd Kaufman and Gunn himself.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Slither uses all the old tricks in a new and exciting way to ensure that true horror fans will enjoy this laugh out loud comedy horror hybrid.
