Slither, 2006.
Written and Directed by James Gunn.
Starring Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Tania Saulnier, Gregg Henry, and Michael Rooker.
SYNOPSIS:
A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters.
Long before James Gunn was trusted with talking raccoons, cosmic superheroes and the future of DC, he was doing something quite different… launching alien slugs into the mouths of unsuspecting townsfolk and turning Michael Rooker into an enormous pulsating meat-monster.
Looking back from 2026, that trajectory somehow makes perfect sense. Slither may have arrived as a box office disappointment in 2006, but twenty years later it doesn’t appear odd. Instead it looks like the first clear statement of everything Gunn would become as a filmmaker.
Set in the sleepy South Carolina town of Wheelsy, the story begins with a meteor crash and rapidly escalates into something that definitely isn’t for the squeamish. Wealthy local boor Grant Grant stumbles across an alien organism which wastes no time burrowing into his chest. From there, the pesky space-critter starts rewriting him from the inside out. Soon, livestock are disappearing, townspeople are behaving strangely, and an army of slug-like parasites is slithering (hence the film title) through the population. Thankfully there is hope – standing between humanity and complete assimilation are police chief Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion), Starla Grant (Elizabeth Banks), a foul-mouthed mayor and a rag-tag group of desperate survivors.
The whole idea may sound like it was salvaged from a video store shelf in 1987, and that’s largely the point. Slither joyfully raids horror history. There are clear traces of Shivers, The Thing, Night of the Creeps, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Fly. Plus other cult favourites lurk beneath the mucous for serious horror-heads to spot. But the film steers clear of becoming a patchwork of references. Thankfully, Gunn understands that homage only works if you bring something personal to it which, in this case, is a sincere affection for the ridiculous characters.
That odd affection is what separates Slither from many of its mid-2000s contemporaries. Wheelsy feels familiar. People have small-town histories, grudges, half-forgotten romances and even minor characters seem to have wandered in from a larger world beyond the screen. These simple-minded people are endearing, so when the carnage arrives, it actually matters.
Michael Rooker is superb. What could have been a one-note monster role gradually becomes something stranger and sadder. As Grant mutates into an increasingly grotesque extension of the alien hive mind, fragments of his humanity and connection with his wife remain trapped beneath layers of flesh, tentacles and that insatiable appetite. Elizabeth Banks brings a warmth and intelligence to Starla while refusing to let her become a stock damsel. She wants to believe Grant is still in there, but isn’t afraid to pull a trigger. And Nathan Fillion’s perpetually exasperated sheriff remains one of the film’s best elements. His deadpan reactions to escalating absurdity land with confidence, threading the body horror and dark humour elements together.
And then there are the effects. Having previously worked on Troma projects, it’s no surprise that Gunn has a strong stomach for gore. Twenty years on, the practical work remains gloriously disgusting. Bodies swell, burst, split and writhe with tangible weight. The occasional digital enhancement shows its age, but the mountains of prosthetics, slime and creature effects still carry the film. There is a handmade quality to the horror that modern more CGI-heavy monster movies often struggle to replicate.
This anniversary SteelBook release does the film proud. The new 4K Dolby Vision restoration, approved by Gunn and cinematographer Gregory Middleton, gives fresh life to the textures, colours and gloriously revolting creature work. The extras are substantial too. New interviews with Gunn, Middleton, editor John Axelrad, composer Tyler Bates and effects wizard Todd Masters offer fascinating reflections on the production. Legacy featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers and Nathan Fillion’s set tour round out a package that feels genuinely celebratory. Oh, and the double-sided poster is killer!
Twenty years later, Slither remains exactly what great cult horror should be: funny, revolting, oddly heartfelt and completely comfortable in its own skin. Or, more accurately, several rapidly mutating skins. If you can, catch it during its limited cinema run and don’t miss this limited edition UHD if you want Slither in your physical media collection.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Tom Atkinson
