“Slugs” is a Spanish horror movie about a town that’s being overrun by killer slugs. The movie is gross, gory, and definitely not for the squeamish. But if you can stomach the gore, “Slugs” is actually a pretty fun movie.
The acting is campy and over-the-top, but that just adds to the movie’s charm. The special effects are hilariously bad, but again, that’s part of the movie’s appeal. If you’re a fan of cheesy horror movies, then “Slugs” is definitely worth checking out.
In a rare move of almost unparallelled genius, the name of the best actor is given in the title itself. Yep, it’s the slugs, they upstage everyone else. None of the humans do much more than read a monotone from the script and try to look stressed whilst the slugs go about their business of munching on the locals of a small town.
Perhaps most distinguished by the hamster scene, or the poor fucker in a restaurant enjoying the brain busting aftermath of a slug sandwich, it’s a film that at least managed to deliver upon some fun moments in amongst the clumsy direction and wooden characters. Slugs don’t quite possess that innate scare factor of say snakes or spiders, but they do at least have that ability to make most of us recoil with a yuk instead of a yelp of fear. They’re a pretty good pick for a horror movie baddy, a writhing mass of black slimy death is somewhat disgusting.
Following very much the standard and formulaic fare of menace threatens town, only a couple insightful people see the truth and have to battle against disbelief and general idiocy to save the day, it also falls victim to the awkwardness and implausability which afflicts such movies. I may have been drunk, but I’m sure at one point I heard the sheriff blame a mutilated corpse on angry racoons! Still, the gore is bright and red, not looking too bad in many places, and it’s not a total duffer that’ll leave you wishing you’d watched something else.
Based upon a novel by Shaun Hutson – great novel, check out this and his other works, especially “Spawn” and “Erebus” if you haven’t already – this film doesn’t even come close to doing it justice. Yeah, it’s somewhat entertaining, there are a few fun scenes, but it’s hamstrung by clumsiness. Worth a watch, you might even find yourself checking the lettuce for unwelcome guests afterwards, but don’t expect anything great. And, don’t forget to read the book as well, it’s way better.
Synopsis
The town of San Felipe in Spain is being terrorized by a horde of giant killer slugs. The slugs are able to kill people and animals by wrapping themselves around their necks and strangling them. The townspeople are at a loss as to how to stop the slugs, as they seem to be immune to all known poisons.
One night, a young boy named Juan (played by Manuela Velasco) is playing in his backyard when he comes across a slug. He initially thinks it is a snail, but quickly realizes it is something much more dangerous. He runs into his house to tell his mother (played by María Elena Velasco), but the slug follows him inside and kills his mother by wrapping itself around her neck.
Juan’s father (played by Álex Angulo) is a scientist who is working on a way to kill the slugs. He believes that the only way to stop them is to find their queen and destroy her. He enlists the help of his friend, a local priest (played by Miguel Ángel Fuentes), and together they venture into the sewers where the slugs are believed to be living.
They eventually find the slug queen (played by Montserrat Prous), and Juan’s father manages to kill her with a special poison. With the queen dead, the rest of the slugs die as well. The town is saved, but at the cost of Juan’s mother’s life.
Movie Details
Director: Juan Piquer Simón
Writer: Juan Piquer Simón
Actors: Michael Garfield, Kim Terry, and Phillip Macdonald
Release Year: 1988