Title: Slash/Back
Release Date: 13 March 2022
Director: Nyla Innuksuk
Production Company:Mixtape VR | Red Marrow Media | Scythia Films | Stellar Citizens
Summary/Review:
On the summer solstice, all of the adults in the Inuit village of Pangnirtung, Nunavut have gone away to a dance. So when blood-sucking aliens who take on the skin of dead animals and humans invade the town, it’s up to four teenage girls to rely on their hunting skills to defend the village. Maika (Tasiana Shirley), Jesse (Alexis Wolfe), Uki (Nalajoss Ellsworth), and Leena (Chelsea Prusky) have relatable problems when they’re not killing aliens, such as attraction to boys, tension with their parents, and the desire to escape their “boring” hometown. More uniquely, they also struggle with identifying with their Inuit heritage or adapting to more “modern” culture.
Slash/Back name drops The Thing and a lot of people correctly note a similarity to Attack the Block. But I also feel there’s a connection to 80s childhood dramas like E.T. and Stand By Me. I’ve seen a lot of criticism of the undeniably stiff acting of the nonprofessional actors in the cast. But personally I feel that it lends a feeling of authenticity to this contemporary Inuit tale. This is also helped by the fact that the girls in the film also worked with the filmmakers to inform the script and characterization. I also found the practical effects for the monsters to be simple but effective. In short this is a fun and interesting horror/coming of age film from well outside of Hollywood.
Rating: ****