SLASH/BACK Says Move Over Goonies, The Girls of Pang Are Here!

Starring:

Tasiana Shirley, Alexis Vincent-Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth and Chelsea Prusky

Directed By:

Nyla Innuksuk

Written By:

Nyla Innuksuk, Ryan Cavan

Release By: RLJE Films & Shudder

Set in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a sleepy hamlet nestled in the majestic mountains of Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean, SLASH/BACK opens as the village wakes up to a typical summer day. No School, no cool boys (well… except one), and 24-hour sunlight.  But for Maika and her ragtag friends, the usual summer is suddenly not in the cards when they discover an alien invasion threatening their hometown. These teenagers have been underestimated their whole lives but, using makeshift weapons and their horror movie knowledge, they show the aliens you don’t f*** with the girls from Pang.

Release Date: 

In Theater, On Digital and On Demand October 21, 2022

Run Time: 87Minutes | Rating: Not Rated

Publicity Materials:

When a film is so fun that you rush to re-watch it, you know it’s good. This is the case with SLASH/BACK. Set in the lovely but isolated town of Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Maika (Tasiana Shirley) and her rowdy friends enjoy a Summer day and 24-hour sunlight. Things change in an instant when the group of friends discover they are being invaded by Aliens. This invasion threatens not only their lives but also the town they live in. The friends must band together using weapons and knowledge of horror films to save the town. The aliens will know why you don’t f*** with the girls from Pang.

Review By: Chris Hammond

First, the movie takes place in a wonderful location. Pangnirtung, Nunavut with its isolated location is prime for a horror film of this nature. A film shot in such a location surrounded by the mountains of Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean. This adds to the very cut-off feel that the town gives in the film.

Not only does director Nyla Innuksuk know their horror film history. They also pay heavy homage to one of the genre’s cult films John Carpenter’s The Thing. Don’t fret though SLASH/BACK is its own film.

All the actors/actresses do a superb job of making this invasion feel real. There is some comedy in the mix to relieve the anxiety of invasion. The film also gives the audience a peek into the lives of the people of Nunavut.
The main cast is teenagers (girls). This is also a refreshing change from the male hero-driven horror films of the past. Sure they are all amateurs. Their rawness and youth only help them to be individuals and not only characters. Some of the lines throughout the film are said in only a way teenagers would talk (mumbling and monotone).

Innuksuk directs with a style of their own. It feels fresh and passionate. The characters in the film are real, they each have flaws, but they also have confidence. Showing indigenous people in a positive light strikes a great chord. This isn’t another horror film, it’s one that spotlights Indigeneity.

Although most of the special effects are CGI (alien effects). There are a handful of practical effects too. These practical effects by Applied Arts FX Studio Inc. are pretty mindblowing and also creepy as hell.

The film’s score is outstanding. The use of Indigenous artists and music complement what is happening on screen. The songs are catchy too.

SLASH/BACK is a throwback to when things were not so serious. Writers Nyla Innuksuk, and Ryan Cavan craft a story that deals with growing up Indigenous. This is also shadowed by the alien invasion that the teenagers deal with. Tasiana Shirley (Maika) although an amateur actress steps up and shines on screen.

Don’t miss this one when it opens in theatres, on digital and on Demand on October 21, 2022.