Slaxx (2020)

Bloodthirsty jeans, fast fashion and a commentary on disposable economies size up the horror satire Slaxx.

Canadian Cotton Clothiers, a colour-coded cornucopia of apparel, has a new employee named Libby (Romane Denis). She’s there for the latest collection turnaround, marking an exciting time for CCC. No one wants to show the eager Libby the ropes, including Shruti (Sehar Bhojani), a jaded sales assistant, who is over the cheerful demeanour forced onto the staff.  Libby wants to fit in right away because Harold Landgrove (Stephen Bogaert), the CEO of this supposedly eco-conscious, ethical company with heart, is coming for the big collection launch. A new style of coveted jeans has arrived, the “Super Shapers,” and when one employee Jemma tries on a pair for the night, she is devoured by the bloodthirsty jeans. With a ruthless store manager Craig (Brett Donahue), determined to succeed at any cost, Libby and Shruti must combine forces to solve the mystery behind the possessed jeans.

Slaxx satirized fast fashion, the toxic retail environment, capitalism and so-called ethical companies that do more damage than good in one fell swoop.  It’s a poignant message once you look past the Grindhouse aesthetic and campy killer jeans. Director Elza Kephart shows that there are consequences to buying cheaply made clothes and the global effects from child labour to GMOs and clothes heading to landfills.  Filmed in Montreal, it’s a clever use of genre, special effects and great writing by Kephart and Patricia Gomez to bring home razor-sharp commentary on our fickle world.