Between films like The Substance and The Ugly Stepsister, the body horror genre seems to be making an impressive rise in popularity. Frankly, I’m still in shock that Coralie Fargeat’s sophomore feature starring Demi Moore not only smashed the box office, but was nominated for five (!!!) Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Once thought of as a sub-genre reserved exclusively for us sickos, body horror has come a long way. And just recently, Grammy-winning singer Charli XCX even took to Letterboxd to declare her love for one of the OG body horror films, Shivers.
An early outing from the godfather of body horror himself, David Cronenberg, Shivers marks the beginning of an illustrious career for the filmmaker. Featuring all of his hallmarks, from sexual thematics to cringe-inducing viscera, it remains a fascinating peek into what drives the director. If you don’t mind a whole lot of squirming in your seat, you can stream it on Prime Video now.
What’s Shivers About?
For a Cronenberg film, the premise of Shivers feels deceptively simple. In it, the residents of a high-rise apartment building find themselves overrun by nasty parasites that turn them into nymphomaniac fiends. But, as with anything from the filmmaker, the film plays out far stranger than even that sounds.
What Does Charlie XCX Have to Say?
In her Letterboxd review of Shivers, Charli XCX describes the film as, “Maybe one of my favs from Cronenberg. So many incredible scenes: Umbrella splat, bathtub and that final swimming pool scene. Phallic, gruesome, deranged, forbidden and… funny (or was that just me?).”
It’s not just you, Charli. While I wouldn’t call Shivers my favorite Cronenberg—that honor belongs to The Fly (1986)—I couldn’t agree more with the popular musician. Typical of most of the director’s work, a dark sense of humor writhes through the underbelly of the narrative. After all, there’s something plainly hilarious about a parasite whose prime objective is to transform us all into ravenous pervs. Or, rather, unleash the primal instincts that exist in many of us, depending on how you look at it. We’re talking about Cronenberg here, though, so don’t expect a straight comedy.
Shivers serves as an early showcase for the filmmaker, setting him on a long path of disgusting audiences while simultaneously blowing their minds. Revulsion abounds as the slimy parasites slither their way through the apartment building and into victims. While the creatures find all sorts of nasty ways to accomplish that feat, the primary mode of transportation is through the zombie-like infected orally injecting the tiny terrors into a host. If you’re thinking that sounds vaguely familiar to other parasitic horror films like Night of the Creeps or The Faculty, you’d be right! Much is owed to Shivers for the mind-controlling parasite movies that followed.
Like Charli XCX says, with Shivers, you get a heavy dose of slimy, gruesome, skin-crawling horror that somehow verges on, dare I say, kind of hot? Cronenberg has always been interested in exploring bodies and sexuality, and Shivers marks a fascinating early foray into those themes. Stream it on Prime Video, and get ready to squirm.
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