Slaxx review: The new Shudder film about killer pants is actually good

I tend to be picky about the movies I watch, so if you told me there was a movie about killer jeans I probably would ignore it. However, with March starting off slow on new releases I was willing to try something new, and I’m glad I was. Recently gaining access to Shudder, I marked the release of several new movies without paying attention to what they were about. Slaxx was one of the first on the list.

There was a second movie that just released but between the two, Slaxx had better reviews. Even after hitting play, it wasn’t clear how they were really going to make killer pants work. How would a pair of pants kill multiple people? How ridiculous are these deaths going to look? Am I actually going to be able to finish this movie? It didn’t take long to get my answer.

In Slaxx, a new pair of jeans from a top designer is set to hit shelves soon. The jeans are designed to adjust to your body type so you don’t have to find your perfect size, the jeans will conform to your body after you put them on. The company selling the jeans is known for being environmentally friendly and prides itself on not using sweatshop labor. The entire movie takes place inside the store where the jeans are set to debut.

Why did the movie work?

The first reason the movie works is because of the characters. With just a 77 minute runtime, the writers had to make sure they established the characters quickly. They did so and since each character fit a very clear and easily defined archetype, it didn’t take much for you to know who all of the players were.

Slaxx is a slasher that dances on the line between acceptable and absurd

Romane Denis (True North) plays Libby, the new hire at the store who is enamored with this jean company and overwhelmed by being in the fashion world. Brett Donahue (Shadowhunters) plays Craig, the ambitious store manager who wants this jean release to go perfectly so he can get the big promotion.

Sprinkle in a few employees who take the job too seriously and a few that are just there for the check or access to exclusive clothes and you’re ready for action.

The second reason Slaxx works is the humor. The movie knows that its premise is somewhat ludicrous and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It allows some of its moments to be funny out loud, even some of the deaths, and that was perfect.

There is one moment in particular where a character discovers a body and makes a decision not to call the police. The reason? Well, this was clearly suicide (it very clearly wasn’t) and they can take care of it after the big release. The show must go on! Now in reality this would be absurd, but the character sells it within the context of the movie.

Finally, the pacing. Once again, with just a 77-minute runtime there was no time to waste. The tension begins because you don’t know what to expect from the jeans when they’re first introduced. There is a bit of a build-up to the first kill and this kill is drawn out, serious, and it makes sense given what we know about the jeans when the movie starts so it sets the tone.

Once the jeans become active, you spend the rest of the movie wondering what they’re going to do next and what they’re capable of.

By the final 15-20 minutes you know that the movie has to come to some sort of conclusion and the only question is how we get there. To me, the end of a horror movie can make or break the film and in this case, I was perfectly fine with how it ended.

Overall

Slaxx is not going to win an academy award by any means. It’s bloody, goofy at times, and while it looks like it’s trying to send a message, I’m not sure it lands like it maybe wants to.

Regardless, it was a fun movie with characters that you can enjoy watching bad things happen to. I was riveted. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie and I laughed out loud several times. Slaxx is the perfect movie night watch for slasher fans, don’t let the absurd premise scare you away.

You can stream Slaxx now, exclusively on Shudder.