Possessed Pants Whack Every Slasher Stereotype
When I first heard about the indie horror film project Slaxx, I thought “this is by my people, for my people.” I spent over a decade as an indie horror review guy for an online site and pet projects like this incite two reactions. The first is “WHY” and the second is “oh, I can’t wait to see how they bring this idea to reality.”
Slaxx is one of those projects that will drive some viewers nuts due to its absurdity. Fans of the slasher franchises and the increasingly bizarre takes on that genre will love this horror/comedy flick. Written and directed by Elza Kephart, Slaxx is essentially a slasher movie if you replaced Jason’s hockey mask with some demonic skinny jeans.
Slaxx Tropes
This bonkers killer movie knows exactly what it is from Frame One and the character archetypes totally make this worth watching. The setting is a trendy clothing store, one that includes every cutthroat retail bitch and a-hole that any of us have ever worked for. There’s the store manager who really wants to work his way up the corporate ladder. The floor workers are self-absorbed, elitist, or wide-eyed. Their personality quirks make the viewers instantly question whether they want the characters to live or not.
Slaxx leans hard into marketing tropes. There’s a great take on the “we’re not a company, we’re a family” messaging. The recited, top-down training from corporate are so powerful that some characters recite them even in the face of disembodied co-workers.
Slaxx Cast
The new hire, optimist in the group is Libby (Romane Daivs.) The movie starts on Libby’s first day and working at the company is her dream job. She is willing to smile and dismiss a lot to preserve her image of buying in to what the company’s marketing image has portrayed. She’s almost the only redeemable character in the whole film, unless you count Sehar Bhojani’s anti-everything Shruti.
Everyone else fulfills their role knowing it’s a caricature. Brett Donahue is the closest thing to an antagonist as store manager Craig. He’s so devoted to getting promoted that he will explain away anything and even assist the phantom killer if it’s in his best interest. Other standouts include Erica Anderson as YouTube sensation Peyton Jules who shows up to review the killer jeans, Jessica B. Hill as Hunter, Kenny Wong as Lord, and Tianna Nori as Barb, Craig’s professional rival.
Slaxx Story
I’d love to explain the plot but let me start from the top. The entire movie is set in a retail store where a killer pair of jeans wants to kill everyone. If you’re still looking for a compelling plot, maybe this isn’t the right movie for you. The plot is a strawman, written only to entertain the murders and the many times that it teases those usual outcomes.
Slaxx is a great combination of bizarre humor, relentless gore, and laugh at yourself for what you’re watching. If you’re the type of viewer who enjoys new takes on old tropes or even familiar takes on what always made us horror fans, this is worth the watch.