Film

Slither

Name: Slither
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Comedy
Released: 2006
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Tania Saulnier

James Gunn's tongue-in-cheek gross-out monster movie turns a small town into a hive of squelching, tentacled horror after an alien parasite infects a local man. It blends splatter comedy with sincere creature-feature love, anchored by Nathan Fillion's droll cop and Michael Rooker's tragic infected husband. Gory, funny, oddly tender at the edges — for horror-comedy fans who don't mind copious slime.

TMDb rating

6.6

If you liked this

Night of the Creeps1986

The most direct ancestor of Slither — alien slugs turn a college town into zombies, mixing slapstick and gore with the same wisecracking rhythm Gunn borrowed wholesale. This is where that tone was born.

But Cheesy 80s effects and dated humor, with some pacing lulls in the middle stretch.

Tremors1990

Small-town ensemble facing subterranean monsters with dry wit and practical effects — a blueprint for balancing genuine scares with belly laughs, and Kevin Bacon at his most likable.

But Lighter on gore and more adventure than horror, so it might feel tame after Slither's excess.

Shaun of the Dead2004

The gold standard of horror comedy — British wit, real zombie dread, and a joke landing on nearly every line. Proof the genre can be hilarious and still hit you emotionally.

But More heart-driven and slower-building, with far less splatter than Slither's gross-out spectacle.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Little Shop of Horrors1986

Same DNA as Slither — a small-town organism that consumes and controls its host — but transplanted into music-hall camp instead of splatter, proving how elastic the 'creature takes over town' premise really is.

A man-eating plant musical comedy that turns creature-feature dread into show-tunes and slapstick, made in the same B-movie lineage Gunn grew up loving — gleeful, catchy, and stranger than it sounds.

But It's a full-blown musical; if you want horror over harmony, the songs might grate.

The Return of the Living Dead1985no page yet

Punk-rock zombie comedy with wall-to-wall gore and gallows humor, treating its B-movie premise with total conviction and a genuinely great soundtrack.

But Nihilistic ending and a very dated punk aesthetic won't land for everyone.

The Blob1988no page yet

A practical-effects small-town creature remake that's gorier and gooier than the original, sharing Slither's fear of an unstoppable organism consuming everything in its path.

But Straighter horror with far less comedic relief than Slither's constant one-liners.

Evil Dead II1987

Sam Raimi's manic mix of slapstick and splatter, with groundbreaking practical effects — a demonic-possession comedy that basically wrote the rulebook Gunn is riffing on here.

But More frenetic and cartoonish, with less character focus than Slither's small ensemble.

Deep Rising1998no page yet

A cheerfully over-the-top creature feature with tentacled monsters, wisecracking heroes, and gross practical effects — pure B-movie fun for people who want monsters without pretension.

But Predictable action-movie plotting and a cast that's more disposable than memorable.

Zombieland2009

A glossier, lighter horror comedy with big laughs, rules-based survival humor, and a game cast — good if you want the jokes turned up and the gore turned down.

But Slicker and much less gross than Slither; the zombies here are mostly a punchline, not a threat.

Grabbers2012no page yet

An Irish small-town monster comedy where villagers realize the creatures hate alcohol, so the defense plan becomes getting everyone drunk. Same cozy, gross, funny energy as Slither.

But Low-budget and little-seen, with charming rather than polished effects.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers1956

Same premise stripped of comedy — an alien force absorbing a town from the inside — showing where Slither's DNA actually comes from, fifty years before Gunn added the slime and the jokes.

The original small-town body-horror paranoia film — quiet, tense, black-and-white dread about neighbors who are no longer themselves, made when 'alien invasion' doubled as Cold War anxiety.

But Slow by modern pacing standards, with no gore and stiff 1950s line delivery.

The Host2006

Released the same year as Slither, it uses the identical B-movie chassis — mutated creature, government incompetence, ordinary people fighting back — but plays it for grief and rage instead of gross-out comedy.

Bong Joon-ho's Korean monster movie plays the same 'creature terrorizes a town' premise completely straight, turning it into a devastating family drama and government satire with real emotional weight.

But Subtitled and far more serious in tone; don't expect the laughs Slither delivers.