Splintered Review

Young folks go to the wood because troubled heroine Sophie (Holly Weston) is keen on legends of a beast there. Unwisely, they explore a not-quite-abandoned orphanage. This low-budget Brit horror has a range of references (The Beast Of Bodmin Moor, werewolf stories, Catholic kids’ home abuse scandals), but goes down a too-familiar route as Sophie is imprisoned by a loon (Stephen Walters), her friends exhibit too-stupid-to-survive (or too-obnoxious-to-put-up-with) behaviour, a lot of time is spent trying to send or receive mobile messages, and the end springs literally the oldest trick in the book. Splintered is better directed than written, with good use of location and fairy-tale touches to almost take the edge off the messy psycho-on-the-loose plot.