2022 SCREAMFEST REVIEW!
Murderers are on the loose, and a group of individuals take it upon themselves to stop them before more lives are lost. Katy (Tanya Jade) appears to be the next target, will the Slasher Squad stop the horror–or will she become the next in a long list of victims.
Simple but effective storytelling is the approach that Writer-Directors Stuart Campbell and Nathan Stone take when developing Slasher Squad. This works perfectly for the film, as viewers only have about four and a half minutes to get into the story before it’s over. With background noise, spectacular animation, and a clear, concise narrative, Slasher Squad has everything that it needs to be successful. Each and every one of these aspects of the film is done with insane expertise–and when they come together, they create something truly spectacular.
As the film opens, viewers get a close up on the film’s protagonist, Katy–and while it’s not immediately apparent that the film is animated, once viewers understand this, genuine amazement sets in, and they know that they are in for a spectacular ride–no matter which direction it takes us. This is some of the best animation that I’ve ever seen–and it never falters. From those opening moments Slasher Squad presents brilliance to its viewers, never relenting, never slowing–all it does is get stronger throughout. Throughout the course of Slasher Squad, viewers are able to see intricate details such as individual droplets of water and the pores on Katy’s body. The attention to detail is impeccable. The reality is that the narrative is intriguing enough to hold its audience without being so detail oriented–but Campbell, Stone, and the rest of the crew refuse to take shortcuts, and they deliver one of the greatest animated marvels that I’ve ever seen.
Just about everything about Slasher Squad is delivered wonderfully, but nearly everything stems from the animation. Again, the narrative is entertaining enough that it didn’t need the intricate details that the animation provided–but being able to so clearly see each and every moment better invited viewers into the story, provided them a better understanding of what was taking place, and ultimately acted as a guide for viewers. The perfect animation strengthens the narrative–again, becoming the catalyst for the film’s success.
Beyond the narrative, the animation continues to work wonders for Slasher Squad in terms of emotion. This is an aspect of the film that would not have succeeded if the animation failed to any degree. Viewers needed to be able to see the emotion present on Katy’s face, and they needed to be able to understand her body language. Like just about everything else, the emotion works impeccably well, never relenting throughout the course of Slasher Squad–and being so powerful as a result of the animation.
Never before have I seen a film (even an animated one) hinge on the animation this way. With that said, however, I think you’d be hard pressed to find another film with this much attention to detail in regard to the animation. Slasher Squad allows literally everything to rest on the shoulders of the animation–and it works brilliantly. Slasher Squad is the first film that I watched at this year’s Screamfest, and it sets the bar incredibly high.
Written & Directed by Stuart Campbell & Nathan Stone.
Starring Tanya Jade, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments