Splinter

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Splinter

R

Released Oct 31, 2008

1h 22m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) and boyfriend Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) decide to check into a motel. On their way, they're carjacked and kidnapped by low-rent crooks Dennis Farell (Shea Whigham) and Lacey Belisle (Rachel Krebs), 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.

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Critics Consensus

Never taking itself too seriously, Splinter scores as a fast-paced, fun thriller with more than enough scares.

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

[Director] Wilkins understands that what we don't see is often more unsettling than what we do. But he also throws in plenty of well-earned gore, making this an ideal option if you're looking for a few new Halloween scares.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 31, 2008

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Kyle Smith

New York Post

There have been worse horror flicks, but although this one offers a few scares, it doesn't have a lot of imagination.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 31, 2008

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Kat Hughes

THN

An interesting example of film-making at the lowest end of budgets, Splinter has some good ideas, just not the time, budget, nor construction to pull them all off.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 12, 2025

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Bloody Disgusting

Wilkins makes up for his low budget with some truly impressive practical effects and stellar character work.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 28, 2023

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Stephanie Archer

Film Inquiry

In a retrospective world, now is the time to revisit Splinter - or to discover it for the first time. You won't be disappointed.

Jan 15, 2021

Full Review

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C B

"It's okay. We're just going to cut off your arm..." The first thing I noticed is that the non-criminal couple seemed to be an unlikely match; a shapely model with the nutty professor. Also, she prefers action while he is a thinker. However, later on, his intellectual approach ends up being useful. None are very good actors except for Shea Whigham. Being surrounded while in a gas station (or supermarket) is kind of a trope. I guess this type of setting is often used because of the different stuff you can improvise as a weapon.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/25

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Audience Member

Panalo. Unexpectedly satisfying horror.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Udin G

The monster is pretty cool and unique but the camera shaking is kinda annoying.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

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Matt V

Nice little indy horror movie. It makes use of short, tight, angled shots to make up for lower budget practical effects. Give this one a try if you like zombie movies but you've seen all of them before and/or body horror (a la The Thing).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/28/24

Full Review

Thom G

Splinter is an enjoyable creature-feature horror film that provides the kind of entertainment you'd expect from such a movie, suited for a good Friday movie night.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/15/24

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Joshua m

This "movie" gets an F minus.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

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Toby Wilkins

Director

Shea Whigham

Dennis

Paulo Costanzo

Seth

Jill Wagner

Polly

Rachel Krebs

Lacey

Laurel Whitsett

Sheriff Frankel

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Synopsis

When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) and boyfriend Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) decide to check into a motel. On their way, they're carjacked and kidnapped by low-rent crooks Dennis Farell (Shea Whigham) and Lacey Belisle (Rachel Krebs), 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.

Director: Toby Wilkins
Producer: Kai Barry, Ted Kroeber
Screenwriter: Kai Barry, Ian Shorr
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Kish Prods.
Rating: R (Language|Gore|Violence)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.9K
Runtime: 1h 22m

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