REVIEW - 'Slapface' (2021)

Horror has a way of exercising our demons; but in the new Jeremiah Kipp Shudder Original thriller “Slapface,” it also has a way of describing them. The film is heavy into the macabre, but a kind of macabre that rests where our own demons lay. Like Mark O’Brien’s fantastic “The Righteous” from last year’s Fantasia Film Festival, grief and trauma play an awesome part in “Slapface.” And while this film is more illusory than that one, and asks you to draw your own conclusions, it’s a worthwhile effort that has an accompanying tone and aura all its own.

A Horror Film Basked in Family Dysfunction

I feel “Slapface’s” genre description of ‘horror/thriller’ does it a disservice. Because let’s face it—this is a drama. Of course it’s also thrilling, and it’s also horror, but it’s more. At the film’s opening we’re introduced to the film’s main characters Lucas (August Maturo) and Tom (Mike Manning). They are involved in a session of ‘slapface,’ an abusive ‘game’ where they slap each other’s faces to get their aggression out. What makes this monstrous is that Tom is an adult, and Lucas is a child. The game is born out of their need to exercise their anger and demons at the loss of their parents years ago.

They live alone, in the woods, and despite the slapping, Tom is doing his best to raise Lucas amidst his own depression and alcoholism. But talking isn’t a high point of their relationship; avoidance is, as is coping in unhealthy ways. At one point Tom meets a girl, Anna in a bar (a great Libe Barer) and strikes up a romance. At the same time Lucas meets a monster in the woods and ‘befriends’ it. But plot isn’t so much of the essence here; this is an ambiguous film, and begs more questions than it provides answers.

“Slapface” has several things going for it, mostly its tone and eerie feel, both of which are executed to near perfection. The setting is mostly backwoods, and Cinematographer Dominick Sivilli basks the proceedings in the golden haze of autumn, illuminating just how reclusive Tom and Lucas’ home makes them. The film also layers an ominous score over “Slapface,” full of droning bass and sinister noises.

Bullying, Trauma, and More

These elements are accompanied by a duo of bullies (twins Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio) who chase Lucas around the woods, beating him for having the audacity of liking their friend, Moriah (Mirabelle Lee), who they treat poorly as well. Bullying is a theme that runs throughout “Slapface;” my first guess was that it played second fiddle to the film’s trauma, but a message from the filmmakers at the movie’s conclusion led me to believe it plays a more important role than originally thought.

Dan Hedaya in “Slapface.” (Photo: Chibber Mann Productions).

The ‘monster’ (a ten-foot-tall creature that looks like a cross between a scary witch and the creature from “The Village” and sounds like the monsters from “A Quiet Place”) lingers through the forest and takes a liking to Lucas, for whatever reason. It’s played by played by Lukas Hassel with an ominous yet deadpan seriousness. It’s here the film becomes the most illusory. Bad things happen to Lucas when the creature is around, and often-times Lucas is blamed for them. But honestly I think that’s not the point. The creature, to me, is not the focus of the film, but is repressed trauma. The guilt and shared trauma that haunt Tom and Lucas are represented in this creature. This is a strong point; “Slapface” asks you to really think about its proceedings, where a weaker film would have just devolved into a creature feature.

Manning and Maturo Shine; ‘Slapface’s’ Stronger Aspects

What I also liked about the film was the performances by Manning and Maturo, which are both excellent, and the film has a solid supporting cast, led mostly by the above-mentioned Libe Barer and veteran actor Dan Hedaya. The broken, traumatic camaraderie between Lucas and Tom is palpable; you can tell they love each other even though they exist on the wrong side of healthy. You can also tell here another layer to the ‘monster.’ Bad things keep happening to Lucas; with his parents gone, the film’s monster threatens to take away Tom, Moriah, Anna—everything good that happens to him. Un-confronted grief takes the monster’s shape and twists everything against Lucas. Well, at least that’s what I got out of the film. What did you see?

…this is an ambiguous film, and begs more questions than it provides answers.”

At the end of the day, “Slapface” is a good film. It’s slow-paced, which might annoy impatient viewers, and isn’t really as horrific as its premise would have you believe. It’s incredibly atmospheric, builds authentic relationships, and ends the only way it could. My only complaint with the film is it wraps up in a way that may leave you scratching your head, but will also make you think after the credits roll, trying to figure it all out. Manning and Maturo offer solid performances, and Writer/Director Kipp causes forlorn and unease. If you’re looking for a creepy movie to take you away from straight up gore-fests, “Slapface” might just do the job for you.