Anthony Bergamini
Slither (2006) is a science fiction comedy horror film directed by James Gunn that revolves around the town of Wheesly, South Carolina as an alien parasite arrives and starts consuming the town’s residents. Combining several genres into one hour and a half long film, Slither is exemplary of the B-film style genre film that explores new takes on classic horror tropes, specifically body horror.
When it comes to body horror, Slither really leans into the uncomfortableness of the genre. From its classic take on Michael Rooker’s increasingly bizarre appearance to the inhuman, balloon-like appearance of the character, Brenda Gutierrez, it is easy to see why this film would make any audience uncomfortable. But the most unsettling thing about the film is how nonchalant the characters are, dropping one liners even in the face of death and disaster. This later would become part of James Gunn’s classic style, with the comedy infusion working in practically every genre his films would explore. But it is the way he infuses it into horror that really makes this film special.
One of the more, traumatizing scenes is when the characters find Brenda, who has been bloated to an impossible size, filling almost an entire barn. In any other film, this scene would be exasperated by the bizarre and disgusting image on the screen; however, here it is the comments that Brenda makes that make it so unique. She starts speaking to Nathan Fillion’s Bill, describing how hungry she is. Again, in most horror films it would be tragic and uncomfortable enough to see such a horrific scene, but the way Brenda talks is full of comedic cadence. This gives the scene some levity, while also making the audience feel uncomfortable for wanting to laugh. Brenda then starts asking the characters to pass animal bits to her, adding to that twisted humor in such a gross situation. All of this is exemplary of how the film continues to add to its tone and nuance by making the situation come across in several different manners.
One of the other parts of this film that has added to its cult following is how quotable it is. Gunn’s witty dialogue really adds to this aspect of the film while never having it take away from the horror elements. That is where this film truly shines, in its balance between all of the genres it attempts to explore. The whole film revolves around this science fiction alien monster, but that is always only used as the backdrop, with the film never wasting a moment trying to evolve into some unnecessary backstory. Instead, it focuses on the elements that push it towards the horror features, with the comedy serving as the tonal elements that make the film less reliant on horror tropes like jump scares.
The other element of the film that makes it stand out is its ever simple premise. With classic horror films often seeing characters take on threats that seem impossible to surpass, Slither always keeps the target in plain view. Yes, the monster that takes over Rooker’s character is consistently growing in size; however, the solution to the problem is always in sight. This is yet another element that allows the film’s specific elements stand out, with no over reliance on the plot. Gunn is a master of character centric work, and Slither is exemplary of letting the characters do all the work, using a rock simple premise as a backdrop element to keep the focus elsewhere.
