Anytime someone says there’s an inanimate object that comes to life and creates chaos and goes on a murdering rampage is usually a ‘must see’. These sort of films, as there are more than you’d like are usually accompanied by a vague story or a group of characters that are equally as weird as the premise of the story, aside from all of this, you are meant to be guaranteed something entertaining and hopefully funny. However, Slaxx, decides to do something completely different but doesn’t quite pull it off.
New employee Libby is excited to be part of this trendy clothing brand, a clothing company that claims to make everything in an ethical way and is fair trade. On the eve of a huge launch of a new line of jeans that adapt to any body type, things don’t quite go according to plan. A pair of jeans comes to life and begins to pick off employees one by one, but there is something more sinister going on behind closed doors in terms of how ethical the company actually is.
Inanimate objects coming to life or being possessed in this case screams horror or comedy or both and to be fair the first act of the film, there is plenty to enjoy. An uptight manager who refers to areas of the store as ecosystems, a surely long-time employee who you just know will be the key to things later on, upbeat naïve character who is our guide into this story and dodgy idealistic company and the mean girls who don’t last long in the story, it’s all there. There are plenty of digs at companies who claim to pay above living wage, no sweat shops and all ethically resourced blah blah blah but really, they’re lying about how they conduct business. There is also space to make fun of influencers and how these big companies reward them with free swag, just for the likes and views. Most importantly the character of Libby, who is the wide-eyed girl starting a job at her dream company because of what it stands for and how great it is for the environment, is played off as the biggest stereotype and it works perfectly. The film is filled with stereotypical characters and genre cliches that are amusing and disgusting at the same time but the film tries to subvert these horror trends but trying to be, serious.
The jeans are undoubtedly the star of the film and are given ample screen time and even character development (at a push). They are lethal and supernatural, as they are actually possessed rather than come to life. The jeans are given a backstory at which we are given an insight and the predictable reveal that this ‘cool’ clothing company is not as ethical as it pretends to be. This is where the film loses its edge and heads down the ‘too serious for this genre’ path. Trying to become a warning about what could happen if we as consumers continue our terrible ways, the film also tries to use Libby as a beacon of hope. But she is quickly called out, thankfully, for her real reason for the joining the store, discount on the clothes. Essentially, no one comes off as particularly amazing, not even the jeans who are in fact wreaking revenge for what happened to them. With a bleak ending, to match its bleak third act, the silly fun of the slasher jeans film is long gone. If the film has started as a serious film, this would have been very different.