If You Liked the Movie “Splinters”, Then You Should Definitely Watch the Next One.
Splinters is a classic Bret Easton Ellis story, populated by sexy, devastated monsters and laced with terrifying imagery. The man who brought us Less Than Zero and American Psycho knows how to deliver the icy, twisted thrills that only a series set in 1980s Los Angeles (and told from his own perspective) can provide. Whether you enjoyed the hot, dangerous characters, neon visuals, or the tense mystery and escalating sense of paranoia, if you’re looking for something similar , there’s one film perfect for Splinter fans: 2008’s The Informers .
“The Informers” is the perfect film for fans of “Splinter”
Also based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, The Informers is also set in 1980s Los Angeles and shares the same rich-and-sweaty vibe as Splinters . Constructed as standalone narratives about characters who don’t always meet or understand how they’re connected, The Informers centers on Graham (Jon Foster), a drifter, bisexual rich kid who deals drugs and hates his film producer father. When Graham’s friend Bruce is murdered outside a party, Graham carries a trauma he can’t quite come to terms with, intersecting both directly and indirectly with a stoned rock star (Mel Raido), a guy desperately trying to survive a harrowing vacation with his father (Lou Taylor Pucci), his girlfriend (Amber Heard), and his boyfriend (Austin Nichols).
Unlike Splinter , there’s no central mystery or overarching plotline, as there was in Trawler. But the same sense of existential dread permeates the entire film—in fact, it’s easy to imagine Trawler operating in the background of the plot, but these self-absorbed people don’t realize it because it doesn’t directly affect them. And the film’s ending is a gut punch—a terrifying moment of revelation that tells you that no matter how rich these people are, how attractive, or how privileged, they are all doomed.
Yes, The Informers is darker than Splinters , focusing on people who use drugs and behave badly to escape the emptiness that threatens to consume them. But, like the show, there’s something incredibly captivating about watching these beautiful, wealthy people make terrible decisions and commit terrible acts against each other and themselves. Add to that a terrific cast including Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, Kim Basinger, and Mickey Rourke, and you have the perfect film for fans of the show. Rent The Informers on Prime Video .
If you’re a fan of Splinter, check out the other films too.
If The Informers didn’t quite give you the dark atmosphere of ruined youth, don’t worry: here are a few more films that capture what Splinters does.
Heathers (1988)
Heathers is a brilliant 1980s teen comedy that shares the same dark humor as Splinters , only with a bit more sarcasm and a lot more Ohio than California. Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) is part of a popular group of girls known as the Heathers, led by the original “mean girl” Heather Chandler (Kim Walker). Veronica is already torn between negative emotions from her superficial and mean friends when she meets Jason “J.D.” Dean (Christian Slater in Imperial Age), who openly mocks the popular kids and makes rebellion look cool. But, like Bret’s suspicions of Robert in the show, J.D. gradually reveals himself to be far more mentally unwell than Veronica suspected, leading to darkly funny violence. Watch Heathers on Pluto TV or Tubi , or rent it on Prime Video .
Summer of ’84 (2018)
If you enjoyed the serial killer theme in Splinters , watch Summer of ’84. The tone and mood are completely different, but the film captures that paranoid feeling that someone around you might be a monster. In a small Oregon town in 1984, 15-year-old Davey (Graham Verchere) begins to suspect that his neighbor, a police officer named Mackey (Rich Sommer), is a serial killer responsible for the disappearances of more than a dozen children over the previous decade. He convinces his friends to help him investigate, drawing them into a dangerous game of cat and mouse where their greatest weakness is that none of the adults around them believes the group of kids. If you’re looking for more stories about young people hunting serial killers, check this out. Rent Summer of ’84 on Apple TV .
Cruel Intentions (1999)
If your favorite part of “Splinters” is the reptilian cool of its wealthy characters, look no further—you won’t find a more reptilian couple than Sebastian and Katherine (Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar). Rich and popular, Sebastian is a master manipulator who easily sleeps with his classmates at his elite school, and he rises to the challenge of seducing the chaste and naive new girl, Annette (Reese Witherspoon). What follows is a masterclass in manipulation, emotional abuse, and unintended consequences, exploring the same themes of decadence and corruption that made “Splinters” so memorable. Watch “Cruel Intentions” on Netflix , The Roku Channel , Kanopy , Hoopla , or Tubi , or rent it on Prime Video .
Super Dark Times (2017)
Super Dark Hours is much less glamorous than Splinters , but if you enjoyed the story of young people who realize a monster may be lurking among them, check it out. Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) are best friends in high school who have a crush on the same girl. When another teenager dies in an accident, they panic and try to cover up the crime. When Josh begins acting strangely and other kids go missing, Zach begins to suspect his friend has turned into a monster. The film’s title aptly describes the plot. Watch Super Dark Hours on the Roku Channel or Tubi , or rent it on Prime Video .
Saltburn (2023)
At first glance, “Saltburn” is a very different story than “Splinters,” but it explores the same theme of the slow buildup of darkness and violence among the obscenely wealthy. Oliver (Barry Keoghan) attends Oxford on a scholarship, lonely and rejected by his much wealthier peers. When a seemingly chance encounter brings him together with the handsome and popular Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), Oliver is introduced to the dysfunctional and wealthy Catton family at their Saltburn estate. Oliver gradually reveals himself as a Tom Ripley-like sociopath, slowly encroaching on the Cattons’ world. Like the show, it’s an exploration of how people with money live in a completely different—and sometimes much darker—world than everyone else. Watch “Saltburn” on Prime Video .