Directed by Elza Kephart
Written by Patricia Gomez and Elza Kephart
Starring Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani, Stephen Bogaert
Runtime: 77 minutes
Streaming on Shudder starting March 18

by Nikk Nelson, Staff Writer, Cinematic Maniac

“One shape for all…”

Nothing makes me happier in horror than hearing original voices. When those original voices actually have something to say, I’m doubly delighted. Shudder keeps making all the right moves as far as I’m concerned with their selection of original content. As excited as I was about Scare Me (2020), I am just as excited about Slaxx (2020). Director Elza Kephart, whose other work I plan on putting in my face as soon as possible, delivers a film about the utterly evil hypocrisy of “conscientious” capitalism. The fact that that message is delivered via pairs of sentient, murderous jeans on a killing spree? Well, you might as well name that alley Nikk Nelson Boulevard. 

“Woke” clothing company CCC is on lockdown tonight as it rolls out its new seasonal clothing line, the star of which are the Super Shapers©–bluejeans designed with science to mold to a perfect fit no matter your body size. Problem is, they’re possessed by the very pissed off and very exploited Keerat, a thirteen-year-old girl who worked for the “globally benevolent” CCC in India until one day picking cotton she’s sucked into a big nasty machine and killed. Now, she’s state side, in pants form, and ready to brutally work her way through the vapid staff of CCC’s clothing store. The exception is protagonist Libby McClean who, naively admiring CCC for years, is genuinely soulful and beyond excited for her first day on the job. 

Overall, Slaxx reminded me of Chopping Mall (1986) in a lot of its setting and execution. And I’m a huge fan of Chopping Mall so I promise that’s high praise. Seeing pairs of jeans slither across the floor, squeeze the guts out of people, chop them up, slurp up the blood, and dance to Bollywood music made me utterly overjoyed. Going about this business, the movie criticizes social media influencer culture and its empty obsession with body image, the gig economy, the duplicitous gloss of neo-colonialism, and Black Friday consumerism—all in a runtime of 75 minutes. It’s incredible. The gore effects are potent, there seems to be no CGI blood, and, top to bottom, despite its obviously sparse resources, the film looks and feels tremendous—credit to a crew who knew how to get the absolute best out of what they had.  

I’m sure I will read other reviewers who ‘prefer horror doesn’t get so noticeably political’ and it is true, Slaxx wastes no time subtly dabbling in your subconscious. It overtly skewers these elements in our society. To these reviewers I say: One, horror has always been noticeably political, you just chose not to see it, are still choosing not to, and are instead hiding behind some bullshit moralistic notion of gatekeeping a gate no one asked you to keep because it isn’t even there. And, two, this is horror, baby. Overtly skewering shit is What. We. Do. So, check this one out. It’s a ton of fun. Lastly, to the powers that be out there, please give Elza Kephart and her crew millions of dollars immediately. 

--As a lead-in or follow-up, I would recommend Satanic Panic (2019), written by Grady Hendrix and directed by Chelsea Stardust--