Slaxx

Honestly, not that much more. But it still needs more credit than it's getting.

People are pointing out that this movie is fun, but pushes a tired message, and really, it does do that. The social message isn't really profound or incredible, and if you've seen a lot of films like this, then the message seems all the more cliche. However the movie focuses more on being funny than anything else. The message just gives the movie some necessary structure.

However, if you haven't seen films like this before, then this could be a hilarious and interesting movie for you at the same time rather than just "funny" or "whatever" as some of the veterans of the genre find it.

There are a few movies like this one already, but this one has some pretty great actors for what it is. And again, if you're new to the genre, this would be a great bizarre watch for you.

A trendy, eco-conscious, holier-than-thou clothing chain experiences a reckoning at the hands (legs?) of some possessed jeans as its flagship store launches it's new denim collection. There's some attempted skewering of social media influencers, snobby store employees, and environmental hypocrites that doesn't really work as well as it should, but I was pretty happy with the gore and quick pace of the first two acts; unfortunately, the third seems to take forever even though the whole movie is only 77 minutes long. I enjoyed the VFX of the pants though, and there's a cute behind the scenes shot during the credits. Slaxx didn't wow me, but it was a pretty good fit for a rainy night at home.

First there were movies. Then there were bad movies. Then there were movies that were so bad, they were good again. Then there were movies that knew they were bad. And we knew they knew. And they knew we knew they knew. And this brings us to Slaxx.

It's not the first film to knowingly embrace it's own stupidity. Coming in not quite as juvenile as Thankskilling, while not as meta as Rubber, Slaxx attempts to maintain the surface veneer of a genuine horror movie. Except it's a horror movie about pants, which aren't scary, cause they're pants, and this is where it becomes a comedy. The humour mostly plays off the deadpan reactions to the ludicrous scenario, and for the most part it lands.

Seeing as it's a parody, it can't really be faulted for it's rote characters. The overly obvious final girl seems necessary for the genre exercise, though the insufferable influencer hits the valley girl stereotype a little too on the nose and ends up being even more annoying than intended. The store manager is similarly over the top and maybe needlessly cartoonish, though his blatant denial of the obvious is the source of some of the best laughs.

I feel neutral about the moral bend of the film. Obviously, something this goofy doesn't need to have any truly deep things to say, and "sweatshops are bad" is pretty surface level social commentary. However, it's peppered in sparingly enough to not detract from the main attraction, and like, sweatshops are bad. Even though we seemed to have abandoned the cause in the 90s since we don't want to have to pay more for our shoes, it doesn't make it any less awful. Maybe a movie about killer jeans will finally wake up the world to enact long overdue social change! (It won't)

Ok this movie is completely aware of what it is. A horror comedy! The script is wonderful. The satire of the current retail culture is spot on. The special effects are hilarious. I love the kills in this movie. I didn't think I would be entertained by a killer pair of jeans but I was completely wrong. This movie was the perfect fit.

Crazy Canadian horror Slaxx not only boasts a bonkers concept - a pair of possessed jeans kills workers at a fashion store - but it also squeezes in some social commentary as well, taking swipes at companies that use unethical methods in order to reduce manufacturing costs, whilst mocking the superficiality of those working in the clothing retail industry.

The problem is that, in doing so, it reduces the majority of the characters to ridiculously unpleasant one-dimensional caricatures that are hard to endure. Most irritating is store manager Craig (Brett Donahue), but his associates aren't far behind: there's his loathsome rival Barb (Tianna Nori), irksome CCC managing director Harold Landsgrove (Stephen Bogaert), self-absorbed YouTuber Peyton Jules (Erica Anderson), and the obnoxious floor staff with serious attitude problems. While I understand that they're played this way in order to parody vacuous slaves to fashion, and to make the violent deaths all the more welcome, the OTT performances quickly become extremely grating.

Only idealistic and enthusiastic new employee Libby (Romane Denis) is portrayed as likeable, a single ray of light in a world inhabited by the narcissistic and egocentric.

Where the film does succeed is with the special effects: the living trousers are well executed, with a particularly fun scene where they dance to Bollywood music, and the kills are nice and juicy, the jeans spilling plenty of claret whilst graphically dismembering its victims. Gore fans will definitely appreciate the carnage. Oh, and the downbeat ending makes a nice change.

So, not a roaring success in my book, but still fun at times: try it on for size... there's a chance you might enjoy it more than I did.