 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Slaxx • Year: 2020 • Country: Canada • Director: Elza Kephart • Main cast: Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani • Runtime: 77 minutes • Production company: EMA Films, Entertainment Squad • TRAILER
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Sometimes, things are not as they seem at first look. Is capitalism good or bad? I know, everybody wants some compensation for their work, some money in exchange for the time and dedication, right? And, also, all of us want to pay less and get more, more of the latest fashion, either in clothes, technology, gadgets and items we might not really need. Also, is it licit for companies to try to minimize costs to get the biggest profits? I mean, they don’t know when the situation can change, so it’s always a good idea to have some savings under the mattress. All of that is not a real problem until greed enters the scene. And, the worst is that greed has always been there, way before we imagine, and even when we don’t smell it. Capitalism is bad when money is the only thing that matters; and when only a few ones get rich, richer than they will ever need, in exchange for exploiting all the lower levels of the company pyramid. So, in the hands of mankind, a species that by nature are evil and disrespectful against the environment and our own kind, capitalism seems to be dangerously awful.
And what is the purpose of this sermon that nobody wanted to read? Well, I only tried to set a scene for the movie Slaxx (2020). A movie that despite the themes reached will be remembered as “the one with the killer jeans”. Although, what starts as a parody of social media influencers and fashion icons, ends as a voracious criticism of merciless capitalism.
I am having a hard time calling Slaxx (2020) a comedy since the silly moments have more sarcastic intentions than amusement. The filmmakers made a smart move here, dressing up a good idea, a fictitious witty plot that gets thicky, as a fun show. Because, hey, killer jeans, right? That can’t be serious, when the jeans stand up without anybody inside and start to eat people, you must laugh!
Slaxx (2020) is the new movie by Elza Kephart, after the zombie horror-comedy Graveyard Alive (2003). And in her second feature film, she got ambitious. I think she chose the right tone to face a movie and a theme of these characteristics. She tried to get strong using the closed environment of the fashion store and its warehouses as the sole location of the action of the movie, which is always a smart choice. But, yet, something doesn’t feel right in Slaxx (2020). The story doesn’t flow naturally, but it must not be an easy task to jump from silly sarcasm with ridiculous murders committed by a pair of jeans to dealing with a serious matter together with a pair of jeans committing gory ridiculous murders around.
One thing is for sure. The cast and crew in Slaxx (2020) went perfectly with the cause. Acting is solid, aware of the touchy of the subject but remaining in the comedic tone. Special effects might be cheap, but they also match with the fast-food-feeling of the whole set created in that horrible fashion store. And with a compact running time of only 77 minutes, the movie gives no space for tedium. The killings start fast, and when the action can’t sustain any more pointless dumb slashing the plot moves to the deep matters. So, although the feeling of something missing floats around the whole time, it is a fun and entertaining watch.
Sometimes, things are not as they seem at first look. What can start as an innocent horror-comedy can turn into a movie that plants a big social issue in your head. Maybe I have focused this review too much on the criticism side of the film, but that’s how I perceived it. Slaxx (2020) has many deficiencies, many flaws, and is far from being perfect. Still, it is a movie I am forced to recommend to everybody. It won’t change the world. In fact, it won’t even change one bit of the behavings and opinions of most of its viewers. But, sometimes, some things must be remembered. And if it is in the shape of a so-called silly horror movie, even better.
RATE: 6/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt9741310
