Unlikely heroes get caught up in toxic waste leaking into the New York City sewers that transforms homeless people into cannibalistic monsters.
Director Douglas Cheek does his best with the limited budget, delivering a straight-faced creature feels like a time capsule with its 80s dirty streets, shadowed manholes and that unmistakable underground dampness. Peter Stein's cinematography captures the grime and grit effectively, while the electronic score by David A. Hughes, credited as Cooper Hughes, adds a chilly, synthetic pulse that heightens the unease.
Much of the action happens off-screen, with rubber clawed hands, and sound doing a lot of the heavy lifting-growls, scrapes and sudden violence are often more suggested than shown. When the creatures do appear, they are few and far between and a little rubbery around the edges, yet the talented John Caglione Jr's (Basket Case, Poltergeist III and many more) design has its moments, particularly their glowing eyes. The gore effects (severed heads and body parts) and stunts pack some genuine punch for the money, and the film plays its monster-movie beats without a hint of irony.
The vibe and story sit comfortably alongside Neon Maniacs and Alligator, carrying a touch of Jaws-style institutional cover-up and The Toxic Avenger's low-rent political edge, with its focus on a forgotten underclass.
Daniel Stern steals the show as A. J. the soup kitchen owner. The late John Heard, Kim Greist, and Christopher Curry give the material more weight than it strictly deserves. Also John Goodman appears in an early role as a cop.
The pacing and plot is a little loose and plodding. Still, for cheap thrills and pure nostalgia value, C. H. U. D. delivers a grubby, atmospheric slice of 1980s creature horror.
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