Squirm

Squirm

Year: 1976

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Jeff Lieberman

HorrorHorror

On a storm‑ridden night, a violent electrical storm brings down power lines onto the rain‑soaked fields surrounding Fly Creek, home to an aggressive breed of worms. The surge of high voltage mutates the creatures into massive, hostile, man‑eating hordes that stalk the town’s residents, turning the quiet community into a ground of crawling terror.

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Timeline & Setting – Squirm (1976)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Squirm (1976). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1975

The events unfold in late September 1975 in Fly Creek, Georgia. A tropical storm knocks out the town’s power, and a bizarre worm outbreak is unleashed by the resulting electricity in wet soil. The film anchors its tension in this era of rural America just before widespread modernization.

Location

Fly Creek, Georgia

Fly Creek is a rural town in Georgia beset by a severe storm that knocks out electricity. The power line crashes into mud, electrifying the worms beneath and setting off a deadly chain reaction. The town’s tight-knit community becomes a frontier for fear as the electricity-driven menace crawls through streets and homes. The setting emphasizes a fragile, high-stakes fight for survival.

🗺️ Fly Creek Georgia ⚡ Power outage 🪱 Worm outbreak

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

Main Characters – Squirm (1976)

Meet the key characters of Squirm (1976), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mick (Don Scardino)

A vacationing boyfriend from New York City who becomes a resourceful and brave ally to Geri, trying to unravel the cause of the worms while protecting those around him.

🗡️ Brave 🧭 Quick-thinking

Geri Sanders (Patricia Pearcy)

Geri is a practical, protective local who drives plans to keep her family and friends safe as the town descends into chaos.

🛡️ Protective 🏃 Resourceful

Roger Grimes (R.A. Dow)

Worm farmer’s son who grows envious of Mick and Geri, later battle-scarred by the worms and increasingly volatile.

⚔️ Jealous 🧪 Forced transformation

Sheriff Jim Reston (Peter MacLean)

The town sheriff who struggles to act on warnings and enforces order, becoming a symbol of bureaucratic inertia during the crisis.

🚓 Authority ⚠️ Skeptical

The Sheriff's Girl (Barbara Quinn)

Reston's date, a minor presence who shares the peril of the collapsing town and meets a grim fate as the worms invade.

👧 Victim 🛡️ Survivor

Naomi Sanders (Jean Sullivan)

Mick's girlfriend Geri's mother, present during the town's trials and ultimately among the victims of the worm attack.

👵 Matriarch 🕯️ Protector

Alma Sanders (Fran Higgins)

Geri's sister who survives by taking shelter and reappears after the chaos, representing a narrow escape and resilience.

👧 Relative 🥾 Survivor

Willie Grimes (Carl Dagenhart)

Roger's father who discovers the stolen shipment and is later killed by the worm infestation.

🧭 Family 🪱 Infected

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

Major Themes – Squirm (1976)

Explore the central themes of Squirm (1976), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Survival

Survival becomes the central concern as a power outage and monster worms threaten the town. Characters improvise shelter, secure families, and make split-second decisions under pressure. Courage and resourcefulness determine who endures the night. The crisis exposes personal resolve and communal responsibility.

⚡ Technology vs Nature

Electricity, meant to connect and empower, becomes the catalyst for the invasion of nature. The storm and live wires enable the worms to emerge and attack, turning modern infrastructure into a hazard. The film comments on the fragility of reliance on technology when nature asserts itself. The tension hinges on the collision of man-made systems and natural chaos.

🤝 Community Breakdown

Fear and rumors fuel mistrust as authorities fail to act quickly, and rumors about pranks cloud judgment. The sheriff's skepticism contrasts with Mick's warnings, leading to dangerous delays. Public spaces—the diner, jail, and bar—become sites of attack and panic. In the end, solidarity and quick thinking test the town's resilience.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

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Nature's Revenge Horror Movies like Squirm

Stories where the natural world turns against humanity in a violent siege.If you liked Squirm, you'll enjoy these movies about nature gone wrong. This list features similar horror stories with monster attacks and scientific accidents, where creatures or the environment turn on a small community. Discover more films with a high-intensity, gruesome vibe and themes of survival against an unstoppable natural force.

gruesometenseparanoidchaotichorrifyingdesperateclaustrophobic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern usually begins with a scientific accident or environmental disturbance that triggers the threat. The story quickly escalates from isolated, strange events to a full-scale assault, often trapping characters in a confined location. The focus is on the immediate, visceral danger and the characters' frantic attempts to understand and survive the onslaught, with a high probability of major casualties.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a core premise of nature revolting, a fast-paced and high-intensity feel, and a dark, often gruesome tone. They deliver a specific kind of paranoid dread centered on the vulnerability of civilization to the natural world it has taken for granted.

Small-Town Siege Horror Films Similar to Squirm

A quiet, isolated community is suddenly besieged by an unimaginable threat.Looking for more movies like Squirm? This list features horror films where a small town is plunged into chaos by a monster or supernatural threat. Find similar fast-paced, high-intensity stories with themes of community survival, grief, and loss, all set against a backdrop of isolated terror.

tenseclaustrophobicchaoticparanoidhorrifyinggrievingdesperate

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows the rapid breakdown of order in a confined setting. Local authorities are quickly overwhelmed, and ordinary citizens must band together (or fall apart) to survive. The story leverages the intimacy of the small-town setting to raise the emotional stakes, as characters face the loss of neighbors and loved ones, leading to a bittersweet or bleak conclusion even if the immediate threat is vanquished.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their specific setting and structure. They share a vibe of communal panic and the unsettling transformation of a safe haven into a death trap. The pacing is typically fast, the tone is dark, and the emotional weight is heavy due to the personal nature of the losses suffered.

Unlock the Full Story of Squirm

Don't stop at just watching — explore Squirm in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Squirm is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Squirm Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Squirm, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Squirm Summary

Squirm Timeline

Track the full timeline of Squirm with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Squirm Timeline

Squirm Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Squirm that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Squirm Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Squirm

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Squirm: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Squirm

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