Shivers (1975)

aka: Frissons / They Came from Within

Shivers is crude and suffers from some clunky pacing in the middle section, but the imagination and the sense of dread that it exudes raise it up. The threat isn't intentionally malevolent, it’s simply trying to survive; that erosion of good and evil makes it all the more terrifying. 

It’s interesting to go back to Cronenberg’s early works and see the genesis of the 'body-horror' that he became known for.
Viewers not familiar with his work may laugh at the meaty ‘phallic turds’, but if they do they’re missing the point.

3 bathtub buddies out of 5