The experiment resulted in stronger, smarter, healthier humans, but something went wrong and three quarters of the island's residents died.

Kristen finds a large cemetery of numerous individuals, all dated 1989, and the mysterious figure attacks her and shoves the parasite in his mouth down hers.

The mysterious figure reveals himself to be Mason Lane, Jamie's father, who explains he developed an antidote formula.

[2] Paul Pritchard of DVD Verdict called it "a flawed but entertaining low-budget movie" that, while better than most direct-to-video horror, pales in comparison to Shivers.

[3] Annie Riordan of Brutal as Hell called it an incoherent film full of stereotypical and clichéd characters.

[4] Justin Felix of DVD Talk rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "Growth has some issues with pacing – and believability, though given the genre that's almost a given – in its script.

However, a strong cast (including an especially good performance by Nora Kirkpatrick in a main supporting role) and plentiful CG parasite mayhem make the film worthwhile for the horror crowd.