Matthew McLaughlin Growth is a 2010 or 2009 (the sources varied) 'horror' film that plays out like a leisurely stroll through your awkward teen years. Only instead of mediocrity, acne and regrettable sexual experiences you're hit with angst and a less than lack lustre plot. The main issue with the film is the lack of any innovation; it borrows arm so heavily from pop culture and does no justice to any of it. For example; Growth takes considerable influence from Twilight franchise. Most of the camera and lighting techniques are lifted and imposed over a cardboard character. Likewise, fight scenes take a lot of their influence from the aforementioned franchise however; Growth fails to emulate them even slightly. The main character too is a pale, self motivated angst strain of urine(sic), spending half the film trying to avoid and or pitch woo to his sister? Onto yet another blinding flaw; the film never explains in any detail the relationships between characters. All of a sudden new characters are introduced with some tangible connection to previously seen characters. But it's not something to dwell upon, because why have development when you can squeeze more shots of characters wandering in the dark or looking into the middle distance? Between the confusing character relationships, poorly edited fight sequences (all two of those) and the writer's lack of creativity Growth fails to be a horror and simply stands as horrific. Regarding the plot; Growth is loosely about a parasite (twiparasite) that gifts the infected super human abilities, such as; wear women's sunglasses, handle a whole whiskey and take a plagiarise Prototype. Ultimately Twiparasite doesn't do itself any favours, the budget aside; the story could have been focused on to avoid clichéd end scenes and unsympathetic characters with about as much personality as MDF. The acting is probably the most positive aspect (the only positive) of the film, it's too bad the efforts of the cast is let down dismally by the script. To surmise, this film doesn't deserve the title of horror; despite what it may attempt Growth comes close to the genre for all of a minute.

Jackson Booth-Millard As far as I could tell this was one of those straight to DVD horror films, some of those aren't all brilliant, but I saw a trailer for this one which looked relatively interesting. Basically in the 1980's an advanced research was being developed to give humans heightened physical and mental strength, but this turned into a parasite. On Cuttyhunk Island, these parasites, looking like alien worms have got out and spread around, and plan to get inside any human they can to breed. It has been twenty years since Jamie Ackerman (Mircea Monroe) has any involvement with this disastrous incident, but she has to witness her step brother becoming one of the infected, and her boyfriend trying to get away from it with her. The authorities, including Larkin Holberman (Richard Riehle) are aware of the outbreak, and are trying to contain it before the infection can spread further afield. Also starring Christopher Shand as Justin Roberts, Brian Krause as Marco, Nora Kirkpatrick as Kristin Daniels, Mackenzie Brooke Smith as Gwen Anderson, Alexi Wasser as Sarah Holberman, Ian Patrick Williams as Mason Lane, Robert Pike Daniel as Jake, Lou Richards as Dr. Macavire and Yousef Abu-Taleb as Sgt. George Seitz. Seeing little horrible worms going into people and coming out through various places in their body is freaky, but that is all the film is good for, there is no effort to make you feel like it is worthwhile, so while it was creepy and crawly, it was just alright. Okay!

gavin6942 In the 1980s, an island used for genetic research made some breakthroughs, but also had some terrible setbacks. Today (2009) some of those setbacks might come back to bite the island in the butt as a nasty slug-like virus spreads with unpredictable effects.Quite simply, this film is a disappointment and something of a mess. There is potential there, and you can glean it from time to time, but overall the feeling is one of letdown. There are two main areas this film fails: the computer effects and the plot.As far as computer effects go, it's somewhere in the middle ground of modern effects. It's not really good, but it's not as bad as some of the things you'll find on the SyFy network (like "Raptor Island"). Had the special effects people had a bit more time, they might have been able to pull this task off. Instead, the creatures come out looking like very low budget versions of the slimies from "Slither" (a vastly superior film).The plot fails in a few ways. Primarily, there is not much sense to the whole concept. If this is a research island, why do people live on it? I can understand scientists staying there, but it seems to have a thriving city. That's just pointless. But also, much of the film uses flashbacks that do not really add up until the end, by which time you've probably already forgotten about them, and the story was working just fine without them. In short, we have added confusing footage where none is necessary... edit five minutes from this film and it would be supremely better.Gabriel Cowan, the writer and director, has said this film was inspired by (of all things) the 2008 presidential debates, and the idea that we must sacrifice ourselves sometimes to get where we want to go. He saw McCain and Obama as both switching positions at the last minute, and turned this into a science fiction story... it's a stretch, but if that's what he says is the source, fair enough.And Cowan's not without his merits. His last film, "Breathing Room", I found to be startlingly impressive and plenty of fun. And he knows how to cast, securing the great character actor Richard Riehle (probably best known from "Office Space"). The problem with "Growth" may not have been the people involved so much as the budget they were forced to work with.I recommend seeing "Breathing Room". I'm not as convinced about "Growth". If you want to compare the two to see Cowan's evolution, go for it, but otherwise you'd do just as well to pass. (I cannot say whether or not the graphic novel based on the film is any better, but I suspect it is.)

siderite This is a failed attempt at a movie made using a worn out recipe. I usually revel into films with parasites, infestations and so on. This one made me squirm, and not in a good way, either.The plot revolves around a group of friends that come on an isolated island in order to process an inheritance. The people there are a closed community of scientists that dabble in genetics. One of the guys has "low immunity" which is kind of weird for someone coming on an isolated island.Anyway, you can see it, right? The potential. The closed community from Wicker Man, the parasites from any number of films, the low immunity resulting in a different condition than other infected, and so on. The film managed to ignore all these possibilities, instead basing the thrills on CGI critters that crawl under the skin. Really? Epic fail.