Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly and boyfriend Seth decide to check into a motel. On their way, they're carjacked and kidnapped by low-rent crooks Dennis and Lacey, who take the victims and their SUV to a nearby gas station. Along the way, they encounter an increasingly terrifying horde of parasites, and if any of them intend to survive, they'll have to outsmart the deadly organisms.
Splinter is a lean, effective creature-feature that delivers solid genre thrills on a minimal budget. The parasite concept—reanimating hosts into grotesque, spike-covered killing machines—is well-executed and genuinely unsettling, earning it credit for an above-average premise. The small cast performs competently, with the unlikely alliance between victims and captors providing modest character tension. However, the cinematography leans heavily on shaky-cam and tight framing that occasionally obscures the creature rather than enhancing dread—a common low-budget workaround that limits visual impact. The film follows a fairly familiar siege structure (strangers trapped, monster outside) without significantly subverting it, keeping Novelty middling. The ending resolves efficiently but without much surprise or emotional resonance, feeling abrupt rather than satisfying. Overall a credible, above-average entry in the creature-horror niche that outperforms its budget but doesn't transcend the genre.