On the surface Splintered seems to be the same old generic premise, kids go into woods trying to find a boogeyman/monster and get lost. Mayhem ensues with bloodshed to boot. At least this is the impression I got when I read the summary of the film. Nothing to get too excited about and so, I kept expectations low.
Sophie our main character suffers from childhood nightmares of what appears to be a wolfman attacking her as she hides under her bed. As she gets older, she has nightmares of her being bound to a bed and the said werewolf attempting to rape her. Disturbing, I know, but this is an important plot point of the film. Don't worry there isn’t any super visual animal rape happening. The director does a great job of showing just enough so you get the point. In fact, I wish some films would do these types of scenes this way so I don't have to be uncomfortable during a 10 minute mauling of a woman’s lady parts. So, She gets the bright idea to go hunt this local beast down that has been haunting her dreams and nearby town folk. She drags her unknowing friends along with her. Some of them are not pleased when they find out her true intentions, to get visual conformation on film of this creature. Sophie gets lost, captured and locked up in an old abandoned building by a mysterious character named Gavin. He claims this is “for her safety” which seems hard to believe based on his appearances.
The effects are quite good in this film and very tastefully done. We get some gruesome shots that don't hold too long and look clean. The film also does a great job of building tension as one of our characters is trying to escape via the roof and we are not sure what the outcome will be. The music that is paired with this scene and along with the sounds of the creature chasing them makes for a great sequence.
The best performance in the film by far is by Stephen Walters, who plays Gavin. A truly creepy and disturbing performance is put before you. The type of character he plays is easily over acted in many other movies. He delivers his lines perfectly and his movements as Gavin are precise. You WILL remember Gavin for his performance. The actress starring as Sophie also does a great job of playing the victim throughout the movie. The rest of the cast is just serviceable enough to keep you interested in them. Realistically they are there to up the body count.
The last 15 minutes or so of the film stay strong and the story wraps up nicely. You get a couple of curve balls thrown at you but these add to the movie’s appeal. As I stated earlier, the summary of the film may sound generic and turn people away from it. Don’t over think it and just enjoy a fun horror flick. The dialogue from time to time is a little off and dull. Since I got a different story than what I expected it offered a refreshing viewing experience. Overall it seems most people don’t care much for Splintered in the film world. I found some good in the film and find it worthy of a viewing.
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