Film Review: SLASH/BACK: Teen Alien Invasion Movie is Flat Out Awesome Despite Minor Technical Flaws [SXSW 2022]

Slash/Back Review

Slash/Back (2022) Film Review from the 29th Annual South by Southwest Film Festival, a movie directed by Nyla Innuksuk, written by Ryan Cavan and Nyla Innuksuk and starring Tasiana Shirley, Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Chelsea Prusky, Melissa Hood, Amelie Albert-LeBlanc, Shaun Benson and Kristian Bruun.

Director Nyla Innuksuk brings a unique Inuit teenagers versus alien picture to the screen with the terrifically entertaining new science fiction picture, Slash/Back. Tasiana Shirley stars as Maika who, as a young girl, was taught survival techniques by her dad. As the film progresses, Maika (who sports a cool leather jacket in the picture) and her teenage friends will confront an alien being hugely inspired by the creature from John Carpenter’s The Thing. This new picture with its Arctic background is a movie that will keep audiences intrigued all the way through and has some nice performances from the young up-and-coming teenage actresses at hand in the film. The movie’s bright and sunny scenery works well for the action sequences in Slash/Back as well and you certainly won’t be disappointed if you enjoy alien movies because this is one of the better recent movies of that genre. Set in Canada in a small town called Pang, get ready for a roller coaster ride of a film.

Nalajoss Ellsworth also stars in the movie as Uki, a friend of Maika despite their differences in opinion regarding some of their beliefs at hand in the film. This film’s central premise revolves around an alien who takes over other life forms but in a way which is certainly recognizable. Especially well orchestrated in the picture are the scenes involving a polar bear which is inhabited by the alien creature. When Maika’s young sister gets attacked, the action of the film kicks into gear as the young girls of the picture must fight back to save civilization as we know it. The other central young ladies in the movie are played by Alexis Wolfe and Chelsea Prusky, respectively.

Slash/Back is essentially a picture where the teenage inhabitants of Pang must fight back against the aliens and discover who they really are, within themselves, as a result. Audiences are treated to some gooey effects throughout although some of the early revealing scenes of the alien creature at hand are a bit tacky in execution. Nevertheless, the movie is never anything less than wholly enjoyable to behold.

As the girls in the movie do their best to use the weapons at their disposal to kick alien butt, this film builds momentum and the pacing is excellent, keeping the action moving fast as the characters are forced to use their learned skills as well as their wits to survive against the odds. The movie wisely leaves the girls’ parents out of the picture for the most part which will help the movie appeal to a younger crowd who probably hasn’t seen this type of film before. Cell phones weren’t invented when John Carpenter’s picture came out in 1982 and therefore the new picture feels modernized and is, of course, very different from other alien pictures in terms of its setting and characters.

The performances are almost all quite superb for beginning actresses and the characters are well imagined with cast member Tasiana Shirley the obvious star and standout in a cast that works well together as a whole. Maika and Uki create a well-developed friendship and both actresses keep the audience intrigued in their characters making the movie all the more entertaining as a result.

Slash/Back has its flaws such as dialogue that isn’t always on point and some technical problems early on in terms of the way the aliens take over their host, but never mind. Only a nitpicker like me would complain about these things and the movie is highly energetic. This is an enjoyable rendering of the classic creature feature with a modern spin that puts the material way above the level which was expected for a lower budgeted picture like this one. It’s one of the better films from the South by Southwest Film Festival this year.

Rating: 8/10

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