By David Dent
Chloe (Zoe Luna, whose control of the project extends to doing her own makeup) is a trans girl navigating – and currently living her best – life, with a supportive mother but a father who doesn’t recognise her as a daughter. On her online show ‘So Chloe’ she’s a big hit, a self-confessed film fan, from fright flicks to Clueless: “sometimes it’s videos, sometimes it’s clothes, sometimes it’s horror movies” is how she summarises her content.
But Chloe is not without her haters, and her outspoken ways can get her into trouble; like when she’s on a chat show with her trans friend Harmony (Reise Alexander) baiting a non progressive interviewer Jenna (Shawnee Smith) to the point where Harmony throws a make up compact at the host. Jenna would disown her own son if he as much as wore makeup, she tells them.
As a result of this, and without consulting any of the friends who support her ventures, Chloe decides to step away from the limelight, desiring to be “famous more for what she does than who she is,” landing on her feet by securing a part in a forthcoming horror movie. To celebrate her mother rents a cabin in the woods; when Harmony is cruelly murdered at home, it looks like the trip may be off, but Chloe and her friends choose vacation over mourning.
The cabin is, predictably, delightful, all wooden beams and hot tubs; later a game of truth or dare will end up with Jordi (Sean Giambrone), an odd chap with a couple of crushes and a sideline in dressing up, supposedly dead from an axe to the chest. But later his body disappears; as the party guests learn that they can’t trust each other and the red herrings pile up, it’s every self absorbed person for themselves.
Kyra Gardner’s first feature, after her 2022 documentary Living with Chucky, scores its biggest hit in not centring trans issues (although tensions are definitely there) but choosing instead to look at Chloe’s friendship circle; and a convincing group of mates they make too. As a comedy Slay doesn’t always hit the right notes; a humorous stoner (Ruby McCollister) grates rather than amuses, but some of the smaller roles, particularly Jimmi Simpson’s general store owner, are funnier. The movie messes with slasher cliches too, albeit with Scary Movie subtlety.
The biggest issue of Slay is the overall tone. The transition from friendship comedy to slasher is well handled, but the subsequent plot twists are unconvincing and a little baffling. It may be aiming for Scream, but it fires off in too many directions, and the denouement (“If you lived through it, you better monetise it!”) underlines a cynicism which I didn’t really need.
Bloody Flicks 