Squirm

On September 29, 1975, a powerful storm in Fly Creek, Georgia toppled an overhead power line, leaving the town without electricity. The wet mud from the line creates a conductive bed for the worms, energizing them as the crisis begins. The stage is set for the nocturnal invasion that follows.

The next morning, Geri Sanders borrows a neighbor's truck to pick up her boyfriend Mick. As they head into town, Roger Grimes's shipment of 100,000 bloodworms and sandworms bursts from the truck and scatters. The escape begins the spread of the infestation beyond the worm farm.

Mick enters a diner and learns that something is releasing dangerous energy into the ground via severed power lines. He orders an egg cream and discovers a worm in his drink, an alarming sign of the worms' presence. The owner and Sheriff Reston dismiss it as pranks, underscoring local skepticism.

Geri and Mick visit antique dealer Aaron Beardsley's house to learn his whereabouts, but Beardsley is missing. They notice a human skeleton near the property, which vanishes when Sheriff Reston arrives, suggesting a prank or something more sinister. The mystery deepens as the town struggles to grasp what happened.

The trio later discovers the skeleton tied to Beardsley's identity, and it is found inside Roger Grimes's truck. This chilling discovery ties Beardsley’s disappearance to the erratic worm outbreak. Mick and Geri realize they may be dealing with more than a prank.

On a boat trip, Mick is bitten by a worm, confirming the worms' predatory nature. Roger shows his bitten-off thumb and explains that the worms attack when electrified, signaling how the storm and electricity drive the infestation. Roger later crawls back into the woods, transformed by the worms.

Mick and Geri return to the worm farm looking for Roger, only to find Roger's father Willie dead, his body being consumed by worms. The discovery confirms the worms' ferocity and the spread of danger to the Grimes family lineage.

Mick and Geri report their grim findings to Sheriff Reston, who ignores them, showing a town unprepared for the evolving danger. The sheriff's skepticism delays any protective measures as the worms continue to spread. The lack of official action heightens the town's anxiety.

While dining with Naomi and Alma, the worms chew through roots, causing a tree to crash into the house. This dramatic event convinces Mick that electricity is still feeding the worms and that the soil's wet conductance is key. He plans to fortify the house with candles and plywood.

Roger attacks Mick in the woods, knocks him unconscious, and then invades the house to kidnap Geri. The worms flood the house and attack other places around town, taking down the jail’s occupants and feeding on the bar’s patrons. The situation dissolves into a chaotic, nocturnal siege.

Mick regains consciousness to find Naomi's body covered in worms. He fights Roger, pushing him into the worm pile and ultimately killing him with a flashlight. Alma survives by hiding in a chest, and Mick and Geri climb a tree to wait out the dawn.

As morning arrives, the worms disappear and a lineman announces that power has been restored to the town. Alma emerges from the chest and the couple reunites with her, ending the immediate danger. They reflect on the cost of survival and the fragile line between civilization and nature.