Slice is not the movie its marketing wants it to be.
If you watch the trailer, it’s a serious mystery movie with strong horror elements. That could not be further from the truth. It’s a perfectly fun movie about a bunch of pizza shop employees teaming up to discover who’s killing them, in a world populated by ghosts and where the main suspect is a mysterious werewolf. Slice is aware of how silly this concept is, capitalizing on the theatricality of B-movies and horror to elevate it past its $1.1 million budget.
There is plenty of enjoyment to be found in this movie, with stars Paul Scheer and Zazie Beetz turning in performances that are great to watch. Chris Parnell is also hilarious. Less fun is the fact that the billing promises Hannibal Burress and Joe Keery and they have a combined 15 or so lines. As far as Chance the Rapper goes, he does exactly what this role asks of him. I don’t think he’ll ever be the next Daniel Day-Lewis, but in a goofy film like this, his style fits right in.
There are some fun effects and a lot of over the top acting, but at the end of the day, this movie falls a little short. It has moments of obvious Edgar Wright inspiration that work, and aspects of the cinematography and score put me in the mindset of a Nicholas Winding Refn movie, but the whole just doesn’t match the sum of its parts. It feels like the ABC Family (I will NEVER call it Freeform. Not even if there’s a fire!) version of a great script. I wish it was scarier and I wish the humor was balanced by some more darkness.
It’s worth watching, and you’ll enjoy yourself. I am still looking forward to seeing what writer/director Austin Vesely makes next, but just know what you’re getting in to.
Rating: 7/10
-George Heftler
