Summary
Slaxx brings an entertaining, horrific tale of corporate revenge with a unique twist and fun concept.
This review of Shudder original film Slaxx contains no spoilers. The horror will be released on the streaming service on March 18, 2021.
Director Elza Kephart brings a film with a clear message — fuck irresponsible corporations. In a world of evolving retail, large profits and incredible demand, there are well known, global issues that large corporations do not manage their supply chain, causing irreversible pain for western pleasure. The message is loud and clear. Slaxx is flagrantly thematic when it comes to social responsibility.
Slaxx brings a horror story that sounds freakish when the premise is read out loud; a retailer with a toxic workforce is preparing for a new launch, but as the employees prepare the store, a new brand of jeans (named Slaxx) come to life and start killing characters one by one. The first kill by the jeans sets the tone for the rest of the film; it tightens the character’s waistline to such an excruciating level that their bottom half explodes, with blood splurging everywhere.
Shudder’s Slaxx sets the baseline by instilling a sinister outlook from the perspective of the lead character Libby McClean (played by Romane Denis). Every character Libby comes across that is passionate about the retailer is purposefully creepy; there’s this impression that their line of work is sacred. Even at the start, Libby is overawed by the company she’s working for — a company that claims to source their cotton organically. Slaxx demonstrates that actions speak louder than words; the characters in this story push brand over anything else, even the truth.
Surprisingly, Slaxx is not as silly as it sounds. The film manages to mature later on; as it enters the third act, the horror strongly relays its messages to motivate the characters and the audience to empathize. Although it’s coupled with the slasher genre, it does not compound itself to the usual tropes; rather it gives the audience something to think about — jeans killing people should raise eyebrows, but the film can be praised for its creative outlet for keeping the concept relevant.
Slaxx gives the pitfalls of corporate hierarchy; the store manager Craig (played by Brett Donahue) maintains this desperate character for a promotion — bringing extreme corporate desires and “making an impression” at the expense of the mortality of the employees; that’s highly representative in today’s modern world, where “climbing the ladder” is a conquest, and a betrayal of one’s own soul is seen as an applaudable attribute.
Slaxx brings an entertaining, horrific tale of corporate revenge with a unique twist and fun concept.
