Lionsgate’s ‘Growth’ Promises to Make Your Skin Crawl
by Marc Patterson
I have to say, for a low budget sci-fi horror flick that will likely get a very short and limited theatrical run before going to DVD, Growth is a damn fine looking flick. Well at least this trailer has my skin crawling in anticipation of it’s gorey parasitic laden goodness.
The film is based around the lead character of Jamie Akerman (Mircea Monroe) who twenty years ago survived a horrible scientific accident gone wrong on a small island. Scientists who worked on the island were secretly developing a parasite based project that would evolve the human species into the next phase of our evolution. As all good mad scientist schemes do, things went amuk and as a result over half the population of the island was wiped out. Now grown up Jamie returns to the island with her boyfriend and step-brother in order to settle the affairs of her family, who died during that outbreak. But, in true fashion the parasites themselves have evolved and a new outbreak puts the locals in a fight for survival once again.
Viruses, pandemics, and creepy crawly creatures that get under your skin? Count me in! Visually the trailer reveals some soft spots of poorly rendered CGI creatures wriggling and writhing, but it’s the kind of low budget sci-fi that doesn’t detract from the fun. I’d be damned if this film doesn’t dish up some genuine suspense and an entertaining time, a la Slither. Plus, the film features Richard Riehle, who I personally loved in Office Space. But let’s not “Jump to Conclusions” quite yet. I’ll just let the trailer speak for itself.
