PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Rubber introduced horror fans to Robert, the killer tire. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats and, more recently, Killer Sofa sated our desire for homicidal furniture. What would they think of next? Would you believe a pair of killer blue jeans? That’s the premise of Slaxx, the upcoming Shudder exclusive from Director Elza Kephart. I first heard about Slaxx back in 2020 and thought it was a fantastic concept. I was hoping to catch it at Fantasia Fest. No such luck.
Fast forward to 2021. Shudder offered up the chance to screen the film ahead of its March 18 premiere. Score! Is it as awesome as it sounds? Was it worth the wait?
Read on for our spoiler free review!
Slaxx (2020) Synopsis
A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, Slaxx proceeds to wreak carnage on staff locked in overnight to set up the new collection.
Slaxx is the third feature from Canadian director Elza Kephart (Go In The Wilderness, Graveyard Alive). It was co-written by Kephart and Patricia Gomez (Graveyard Alive), and produced by Gomez alongside Anne-Marie Gélinas (Turbo Kid, Radius), and executive produced by Shaked Berenson (Turbo Kid, Entertainment). It stars Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way), Brett Donahue (Private Eyes), Sehar Bhojani (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Stephen Bogaert (The Umbrella Academy).
Blood Brothers FX, the special effects company behind Turbo Kid, Blood Quantum, and Ravenous, brought the denim villain to life. Canadian sustainable and premium denim brand Naked & Famous designed and manufactured the jeans. SLAXX is an EMAFilms and Horror Collective production.
Here’s a look at the official poster art!
An Ass To Die For
The COVID-19 pandemic has been rapidly expanding waistbands all over the globe. Have you tried on your favorite pair of jeans lately? How did it go? For me, not so well. That’s why I love the concept behind Slaxx: a revolutionary, unisex pair of jeans that magically adapts and form fits to your body. These “Super Shapers” are designed to give you the best fit and shape possible: one shape for all! GMO free. Humanely sourced. Not made in sweatshops. A product you can really feel good about! Who wouldn’t love a pair of jeans like that?
The story begins on the eve of this revolutionary product’s debut. A diverse group of employees, managers, and a even a social media celebrity work to set up the store for the big launch day sale. Store manager and sleazy company man Craig (Brett Donahue) leads the crew, including fresh faced rookie Libby (Romane Denis) and her more seasoned, cynical, Bollywood music loving co-worker Shruti (Sehar Bhojani). Once the audience is introduced to the characters and the seemingly too-good-to-be-true company, it isn’t long before the killer jeans claim their first victim. 100% natural? More like 100% SUPER-natural! This killer clothing doesn’t mess around.
Soon the night crew is picked off one by one in true slasher fashion as they work to unravel the mystery of what (or who) the jeans are and what’s driving them to kill. Is this company not what it appears to be? Can Libby and Co. escape the killer denim? Will they survive the night? I’m not going to spoil it for you here. You’re going to have to watch and see for yourself!
Make A Better Tomorrow Today
What can I say about Slaxx? There’s a lot to like here. The script is smart and effective, and most of all, fun! You like and relate to the characters you you are supposed to like and you loathe the ones you feel you somehow already know: the jerks who suck the life out of every corporate and retail job you’ve ever had. Romane Denis is a breath of fresh air as “Libby” and Brett Donahue’s smarmy, overly ambitious store manager, “Craig” is that crappy boss we’ve all had at one time or another: the one you just love to hate. By the time the credits roll, you’ll likely find yourself on Team Killer Apparel more often than not!
I mentioned it’s fun, right? So much fun! Whether it’s the Office Space style stripping down of corporate culture or the fact that possessed jeans running around offing people is hysterical, Slaxx walks the line between dark and light humor without ever getting goofy. You’ll be surprised at all the creative ways a pair of jeans can murder someone. There are some really cool, innovative kills here, executed with some great practical FX. Be sure to watch all the way through the end credits to see how this FX work was done. Cool stuff!
Slaxx isn’t scary in the traditional sense. There aren’t even any cheap jump scares to separate you from your popcorn. It is, however, a surprisingly effective horror comedy that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Slaxx – Final Thoughts
Slaxx is a whimsical bloodbath and a cautionary tale of the evils of consumerism and corporate greed all wrapped up in a nice, neat, little 77 minute package. The satire is biting, but fortunately you don’t have to worry about the film’s underlying, anti-corporate themes getting in the way of the fun or the gore. You came here to see sentient jeans killing people in gratuitous fashion, and at the end of the day that’s exactly what you get. Verdict: Slaxx is definitely worth trying on for size.
Slaxx will stream exclusively on Shudder starting March 18, 2021 in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Watch for it!
Don’t have Shudder? Get a free trial using the promo code SHUTIN at www.shudder.com.
