14. HALLOWED GROUND: Made by an Indigenous filmmaker or has featured Indigenous cast members.
Slash/Back
Nyla Innuksuk’s Slash/Back has been on my to-watch list since at least last year when it was added to Hulu, but it wasn’t until I saw Scarecrow’s Day 14 prompt—watch a film “made by an Indigenous filmmaker or has featured Indigenous cast members”—that I finally sat down to watch it.
It was a blast! Thanks, Scarecrow!
Slash/Back is set and filmed in Nunavut (where one of my all-time favorite Nashville Predators players, Jordin Tootoo, is from!), in the small community of Pangnirtung. For a group of local girls, what starts out as just another day of breaking insignificant rules, getting harassed by cops, and avoiding annoying younger siblings, quickly devolves into a literal fight for their lives when what appears to be a zombified polar bear crashes their picnic. After some investigation—and some more of the monster’s murderous rampages—they discover that a parasitic creature has invaded their land, and it shows no sign of stopping until the whole town is sucked dry.
I won't spoil the ending, but, hell yes, there is a "prepare for battle" montage as well as a wicked scene involving an ulu knife. There are also a few sweet moments between the girls as they bond over their complicated relationships with their heritage and traditions and the relatable urge to leave home as soon as possible.
It's not reinventing the young adult sci-fi flick—comparisons to Attack the Block and Stranger Things are plentiful and unavoidable—but it’s still a fun-to-watch story about young people who have to save their town from violent, blood-sucking aliens because if they don’t do it, no one else will. It makes for a hell of a metaphor for colonialism, too… but, you know, with tentacles.
Best quote: “I cut open its throat with an ulu.” “Nasty! I love it.”
Snack suggestion: White chocolate-covered gummy polar bears
The Stranger is participating in Scarecrow Video’s Psychotronic Challenge all month long! Every October, Scarecrow puts together a list of cinematic themes and invites folks to follow along and watch a horror, sci-fi, or fantasy flick that meets the criteria. This year, Stranger staffers are joining the fun and we’re sharing our daily recommendations here on Slog! Read more about Scarecrow’s 2024 challenge—and get the watch list—here. And you can track our daily recommendations here! 💀
