Written By: Strega Cerbone-Colangelo
Slaxx: a horror comedy that serves as a social commentary with an incredibly unique tale.
Think about it. We’ve all been there. Stepping into that globally sourced, ethically made, GMO free and sweatshop free. However, do we really know? They boast of having direct control on their supply chain which gives them the ability to influence almost every aspect of the process. They claim to minimize their impact on the environment, offering fair wages and benefits such as access to free onsite medical clinics, free transportation to and from work, subsidized meals, and access to financial aid programs. Do they really? Is it just a propaganda campaign to tell the public what they want to hear or is politically correctness at play? How do we really know?
Then, you notice the staff. Robotic, sales-driven and like they stepped off a runway. These are the stores that only hire beautiful people or “model” workers. These same stores stipulate that “makeup is to be kept to a minimum – please take this very seriously” and that having a fringe is “not part of the direction we’re moving in”. Another rule is that “hair must be kept your natural color” and “long, healthy, natural hair” is encouraged, meaning that “excessive blow-drying” is banned. There are notes on mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, blusher, foundation, lip gloss, and eyebrow plucking.
Liquid foundation is banned, so you have to show your skin imperfections every day that you work in store. If you’re a female with short hair, you won’t be hired. If you dye your hair, you won’t be hired. It doesn’t fit in with their image. Eating disorders to strive for perfection are not only condoned but encouraged. This is demonstrated throughout Slaxx, which leaves you rooting for…. possessed pants. Yes, you read that correctly. Possessed denim which is tied in to the aforementioned “Company Ethics.”
It’s fun, gory and has a message. Being in one of these sterile stores under the wings of the fake, cringe-inducing slogan, “Make A Better Tomorrow Today” made each character have a robotic, unconscionable quality to them. As if people today don’t have body issues, the store is set to launch comfortable, gender-inclusive denim jeans that fit like a glove by automatically adapting to everyone’s unique body shapes. When I say, “fit like a glove”, I should say, “wrap you like a boa constrictor does it’s pray. When the mass-produced homicidal threads start attacking people one by one, shredding them to pieces and sucking their blood is oddly where the comedy begins. Even the annoying, internet-famous influencer (we all know those types) gets her due.
By far, Shruti played brilliantly by Sehar Bhojani, is an instant favorite. She, like myself, is fed up with the pretentiousness of the clothing store. She also has one of the best dance scenes in horror to Bollywood music. That made it an instant classic for me. The effects are purposely on the cheap, the acting dramatically over the top and it works perfectly to shine a light on excessive consumption, corporate exploitation, child labor and workers’ rights. I give this film 4 out of 5 👖 simply because of the powerful and strong humanitarian message and the Bollywood dance number.