Shivers (They Came From Within) (1975) ***1/2
I realize that David Cronenberg's Shivers (1975) involves parasites rather than a virus but I still thought it would be COVID-19 quarantine-appropriate viewing. I've seen his debut feature film a number of times now (he made two roughly hour long films prior but I am no great fan of either). Shivers lacks the finesse of his best work but its rawness and its exploitative quality are part of why I really enjoy and return to it.
All of the psychosexual/body horror that the director is so well known for starts here. Cronenberg doesn't make as poignant a statement here regarding the human condition as he did from The Brood (1979) (my review here) onward, instead favoring shock factor. But there is still a sense that Shivers is better than the average mindless horror film. Cronenberg has always been good like that—using his intelligence in the way that George A. Romero does to comment on society, within the context of a gruesome genre film.
You can find my David Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked list here.
All of the psychosexual/body horror that the director is so well known for starts here. Cronenberg doesn't make as poignant a statement here regarding the human condition as he did from The Brood (1979) (my review here) onward, instead favoring shock factor. But there is still a sense that Shivers is better than the average mindless horror film. Cronenberg has always been good like that—using his intelligence in the way that George A. Romero does to comment on society, within the context of a gruesome genre film.
You can find my David Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked list here.
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