Slash/Back

A parasitic extraterrestrial organism lands out on the tundra and begins taking over every unlucky man and beast that happens across it. But in the nearby Inuit village of Pangniturang, the adults are too busy partying the midnight sun night away to notice, so it’s up to four young girls to defend the planet, and stop this alien invasion before it can spread.

Wearing its genre influences clearly on its sleeve, Slash/Back is basically The Goonies meets The Thing with a little bit of Shaun of the Dead mixed in, all set in the Arctic. It’s a cute, funny, middle-school-age-scary, and Inuit created genre film.

It’s a good time.

The kids are all surprisingly good, especially when you consider their age and experience levels, and they look pretty bad ass when they get geared up for the film’s climax. There’s some genuinely funny bits too, but at the same time, the film’s low budget definitely shows. Surprisingly though, this is mostly an issue when it comes to the film’s pacing and the choreography of the action, as the alien effects and the light gore are actually pretty well done.

Slash/Back is the directorial debut of Nyla Innuksuk, and I would be interested in seeing more from them, especially if they had more of a budget. Innuksuk also co-created Snowguard, a young hero, and a member of the new Champions in Marvel Comics, who also just so happens to hail from the same town as the film’s setting… that’s just an fyi for you. A little bit of info for your pocket, I guess… I dunno, for trivia night maybe.

In the end, while definitely low budget, but featuring a voice, a cast, and a setting that is not often showcased, Slash/Back is a fun little Sunday afternoon matinee.