Ever since George Romero and his friends sneaked off with some "borrowed" resources to make a cheap little shocker, (and ever further back than that), the low-budget, independent horror film has been the vehicle to fire up the imaginations of many an aspiring filmmaker. It also tends to follow a certain blueprint: take a group of people with clashing personalities and agendas, isolate them, and then have them challenged by some internal or external force that will either unite or divide them in the quest to achieve a common goal: SURVIVAL.
Depending on the resourcefulness, dedication and talent of the people making the movie, following this recipe can either result in one remarkable feast of fear, or a very sorry, sunken soufflé of scares that just don't work. Fortunately for first-time director Toby Wilkins, SPLINTER is a nifty little terror treat that falls into the former category rather than the latter.
Working from a script co-written with Kai Barry and Ian Shorr, Wilkins smartly helms the story of two couples meeting, and to say that it's not one of those "meet cute" situations is putting it rather mildly. Seth (Paulo Constanzo) and Polly (Jill Wagner) are returning from an aborted camping trip, meant as a celebration of their recent anniversary as a couple with a little 'sex under the stars'. Though things don't work out as planned, they're still determined to maintain their sense of high spirits, opting to continue the weekend in the more agreeable confines of a roadside motel.
But plans, like luck, can change in an instant, and what alters Seth and Polly's plans is a car-jacking. Dennis (the excellent Shea Whigham) is a con on the lam with his strung-out girlfriend, Lacey (Rachel Kerbs), and he only has two goals in mind: getting her clean and getting them both South of the Border ASAP. The desperate duo count on a tried-and-true ruse that will hopefully motivate Seth and Polly to play the "Good Samaritan" card. Which they do, only to get 'jacked for their well-meant efforts. Things are definitely "going South" for both couples at this point, but the foursome have no idea that the situation is about to go from worse to mind- bendingly horrific.
A close encounter with some of the strangest roadkill in movie history forces them to stop at the first gas station they come to. Unfortunately for them all, what's waiting for them there is not the station's attendant, and to say anymore would be a disservice, since it would ruin the grisly and insidious surprise.
Not since FEAST or SLITHER (two movies with which SPLINTER has much in common) has a setting or a situation been so claustrophobic or chaotic, but because the cast here is so minimal, the opportunities to ratchet up the suspense and the scares are a lot more plentiful, and director Wilkins doesn't miss a chance to exploit each and every one. He's definitely helped by a game cast who all take their moments to shine, especially Wagner, who shapes up to be more than your garden-variety damsel-in-distress, and Whigham, who reveals more layers to his redneck Neanderthal than one would believe possible, especially in a situation as strange and unpredictable as this.
With great assists from DP Nelson Cragg, a fantastically isolated location, a classically creepy score by Elia Cmiral and an antagonist the likes of which you've never seen, SPLINTER is one of those DVD gems that is a wickedly entertaining sleeper and a welcome find in a genre that is usually bogged down with a lot of DTV dreck. Highly recommended.
Depending on the resourcefulness, dedication and talent of the people making the movie, following this recipe can either result in one remarkable feast of fear, or a very sorry, sunken soufflé of scares that just don't work. Fortunately for first-time director Toby Wilkins, SPLINTER is a nifty little terror treat that falls into the former category rather than the latter.
Working from a script co-written with Kai Barry and Ian Shorr, Wilkins smartly helms the story of two couples meeting, and to say that it's not one of those "meet cute" situations is putting it rather mildly. Seth (Paulo Constanzo) and Polly (Jill Wagner) are returning from an aborted camping trip, meant as a celebration of their recent anniversary as a couple with a little 'sex under the stars'. Though things don't work out as planned, they're still determined to maintain their sense of high spirits, opting to continue the weekend in the more agreeable confines of a roadside motel.
But plans, like luck, can change in an instant, and what alters Seth and Polly's plans is a car-jacking. Dennis (the excellent Shea Whigham) is a con on the lam with his strung-out girlfriend, Lacey (Rachel Kerbs), and he only has two goals in mind: getting her clean and getting them both South of the Border ASAP. The desperate duo count on a tried-and-true ruse that will hopefully motivate Seth and Polly to play the "Good Samaritan" card. Which they do, only to get 'jacked for their well-meant efforts. Things are definitely "going South" for both couples at this point, but the foursome have no idea that the situation is about to go from worse to mind- bendingly horrific.
A close encounter with some of the strangest roadkill in movie history forces them to stop at the first gas station they come to. Unfortunately for them all, what's waiting for them there is not the station's attendant, and to say anymore would be a disservice, since it would ruin the grisly and insidious surprise.
Not since FEAST or SLITHER (two movies with which SPLINTER has much in common) has a setting or a situation been so claustrophobic or chaotic, but because the cast here is so minimal, the opportunities to ratchet up the suspense and the scares are a lot more plentiful, and director Wilkins doesn't miss a chance to exploit each and every one. He's definitely helped by a game cast who all take their moments to shine, especially Wagner, who shapes up to be more than your garden-variety damsel-in-distress, and Whigham, who reveals more layers to his redneck Neanderthal than one would believe possible, especially in a situation as strange and unpredictable as this.
With great assists from DP Nelson Cragg, a fantastically isolated location, a classically creepy score by Elia Cmiral and an antagonist the likes of which you've never seen, SPLINTER is one of those DVD gems that is a wickedly entertaining sleeper and a welcome find in a genre that is usually bogged down with a lot of DTV dreck. Highly recommended.