It’s always a good time when kids are left to their own devices up against an evil threat. That’s obviously why people love movies like The Lost Boys and shows like Stranger Things so much. And, while I adore many popular coming-of-age (and sometimes scary) narratives, I always crave more diversity among the main characters. Thankfully, the past few years have given us tales like Vampires vs. the Bronx with Black and Latinx kids. It’s also no secret that small towns are the scariest places in horror and real life. So it’s super thrilling to see the trailer for writer/director Nyla Innuksuk’s Slash/Back, an upcoming horror film taking place in a small town with Indigenous girls battling a bloodthirsty alien.
Before we get into the visual, here’s a quick synopsis of Slash/Back:
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 girls from Pang.
The Slash/Back trailer introduces us to this quiet village and its protagonists, who are living their best lives. It takes you back to the days of being a ‘90s kid on a summer day messing with your friends. However, most people don’t grow up in an isolated place where you learn how to shoot polar bears. Speaking of the ‘90s, this film has to be from that time period considering the use of “As If” and “da bomb.”
The crew discovers that something sinister is happening in their town and piece together what’s going on. So, in the midst of liking boys and discovering themselves, they decide to fight back. Girls from Pang don’t play no games, especially with an alien threat. Love to see it.
Slash/Back, a play on the phrase clapback, will hit theaters, digital, and on-demand services on October 21. And I can’t say for sure, but I think this alien is in big trouble.
