Splinter focuses on two couples traveling the backwoods of some rural state. One couple is made up of two city slickers out to enjoy a romantic camping weekend, the other is two convicts on the run from the state police and headed to a stash house. When the criminals' car breaks down, they hijack the straight laced couple. Before the crew can get going, the female criminal (who is going through withdrawals) believes her childhood cat has been run over and goes to help it. The thing in the road is not her childhood cat but a piece of local wildlife infected by a strange disease that makes black splinters appear in the host body. Also, the host body becomes aggressive in spreading the disease. Most of the action takes place at a gas station where the four try to defend themselves from the various people and animals that have fallen victim to the splinters.
The movie this most brings to mind is John Carpenter's The Thing. With modern practical effects, the creatures in this are twisted versions of normal people. Whenever an infected person is injured, the non damaged chunks just break free and recombine to continue terrorizing the others. The dynamics between the group (the woman is the alpha in the city slicker duo, the male is the alpha in the criminal couple) keep the movie flying by while the creatures attack every so often. The problem solving keeps the audience in the loop, learning along with our heroes.
If you like creature effects and well-paced horror, I would strongly recommend Splinter. It has got the goods.
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