Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: Slash/Back (2022)
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Length: 1h 26min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Good Question Media, Mixtape
VR, Red Marrow Media, Scythia Films, Stellar Citizens, RLJE Films, Mongrel
Media, Shudder
Director: Nyla Innuksuk
Writer: Ryan Cavan, Nyla Innuksuk
Actors: Tasiana Shirley, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Chelsea Prusky, Alexis
Wolfe, Rory Anawak, Niviaq Mike, Paulette Metuq, Shaun Benson
Blurb from IMDb: When Maika and her ragtag
friends discover an alien invasion in their tiny arctic hamlet, it's up to them
to save the day. Utilizing their makeshift weapons and horror movie knowledge,
the aliens realize you don't mess with girls from Pang.
Selina’s Point of View:
Slash/Back seemed like a fun watch from the
moment I saw the trailer. We missed our trailer stream last month,
unfortunately, because I had a pretty severe case of RSV – but we watched them
all individually. It made my list at #12. It had a very fast-paced flow to it,
the character interactions were endearing, and it made me feel like I needed to
know exactly what was going on. It was a well-crafted trailer.
The movie is successful,
especially as a low-budget film. The effects were much better than I expected,
and there were a few effective scares. There was also an interesting look at
the lives of a group of indigenous kids living in Pangnirtung.
Before watching
Slash/Back
I didn’t have very much knowledge of Pangnirtung or the Innuit people. I was
introduced to a whole new culture that I’m going to have fun researching. I
love using films as a jumping off point to learn new things.
The young actors
did show some promise. They could absolutely do with a bit more training,
though. The script was also a little clunky, even cringy, in places.
Despite the minor
issues,
Slash/Back was still watchable. I enjoyed the antics of the
kids, and how they managed to overcome their alien issues.
Slash/Back is a great full-length feature film
debut for Nyla Innuksuk (
Stories from Our Land Vol. 2: Finding Home,
Breaths, Future History). You can tell it’s a first for her, but it shows raw
talent. I’d like to see more from her in the future, as she grows in
experience.
If you’d like to
see
Slash/Back for yourself, it premieres on Shudder this Friday, November
18.
Cat’s Point of View:
The trailer for
Slash/Back
pitched an interesting story about a group of Inuit girls facing off against
alien body snatchers. IMDb’s movie trivia page for this film offered a
comparison with a mash-up of
Attack the Block (2011) and
The Thing
(1982). I’d have to say, now that I’ve watched
Slash/Back, that was a
pretty apt connection. Just picture that combination mixed up with a little
slice-of-life coming-of-age teen drama, and it would give you a generally
accurate idea of what to expect.
The territory of
Nunavut is just about as North as you can get for civilization on the North
American continent. This region returned to Inuit control and self-governance
back in 1999, though it does seem to still technically be a part of Canada.
Areas of the world such as the little hamlet of Pang generally don’t get much
mainstream attention. I was surprised, frankly, when I recognized the name of
the territory at all. Then I remembered that the first season of Ice
Road
Truckers (2007–2017) from the History Channel was filmed there before
branching to other regions of Canada’s Arctic Circle ice crossings, Alaska, and
beyond in subsequent seasons. I digress…
The point I was
getting to is that life in the Arctic Circle is already somewhat alien to most
of us – especially if we live in the “lower 48” of the U.S. Some of these
communities in the far North get cut off from the rest of the world for months
at a time and are only reachable by boat or plane in certain weather
conditions. If an alien species were to find its way to earth in an area like
that, it’s not too far-fetched an idea that a group of kids would be the ones spotting
it first.
I actually adored
Slash/Back. The kids were cheeky and felt real. Their struggle of
wanting to fit in with the mainstream and embrace modern things pitted against
the pull of Inuit tradition and the superstitions of the older generations was
something you didn’t have to be from that area to understand. Of course, the
fact that the young actors were cast directly from the area where the
production was taking place really helped. If these kids want to pursue further
acting careers, there’s a bright future for several of them.
Writer and
director Nyla Innuksuk’s understanding of the land and its people really shone
through. There’s something to be said for drawing on a background of documentary
work while crafting a work of fiction. There were also undercurrents subtly
referenced regarding the Inuit people’s struggle to reclaim their land and
culture, and the prejudices they face a lot of the time. It was brilliantly
woven into the framework of the film so that it didn’t feel preachy at all, and
still made the point clear.
If I had to pick
a weak point for
Slash/Back, it would be regarding the aliens directly.
There really isn’t a lot to explain the creatures, their origin, or how they even
work. Though, they did get a lot of great usage from practical effects. The CGI
was minimal. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something felt
missing. All the same, the creatures and the resulting horrific mayhem were
seriously creepy.
If you’re looking
for a break from the holiday rush, and definitely if you want to get a peek at
the austere and impressive region featured in this movie; pull up Shudder and
give
Slash/Back a chance.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 93%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 45%
Metascore – 68%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score –5.6/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
Trust-the-Dice’s
Parental Advisory Rating:
PG-13
Movie Trailer:
