I think we are entering the age of graphic male violence in horror — and I’m here for it. An anthology by filmmaker Chet Turner, Slice turns violence from being female-centered to all about the men when stories of fame and fortune are marred by their own terrible choices. If you thought a man’s most prized possession is what lies between his legs, you thought wrong.
A shocking story at a sobriety meeting leads to several tales of men who have given up their manhood for fame or drugs.
Slice, IMDB
At an addiction recovery meeting, one woman listens to men’s issues as they grapple with addiction. She offers up stories to the other attendees about various men giving up their “manhood” for frivolous things, highlighting how lost they had become. In Ready Cash, a drug addict visits a cult to make a “donation” in exchange for relief from paying off a drug dealer. Into the Fold is about a member of the band truly becoming one of them. The final story, Paying Up, has one man willing to do anything for money, this time under the guise of science.
Slice is the perfect example of its own title, as each story deals with cutting off and emasculating these individuals — either by someone else’s hand, or their own. This anthology doesn’t shy away from the gore either; though it varies from story to story, there is blood and viscera along with closeups of entire male anatomies. If you don’t like nakedness, this isn’t for you.
That is, unless you like seeing men’s struggles in all their glory. Time after time, each story details a man’s life that has gotten too out of control, or in need of something extra. Filmed in a calmer, more psychological style, Slice ditches the fast-paced torture that we often associate with ultra violence and instead focuses on the issues at hand. One man is concerned with only money and women. Another is seeking a way out from a toxic environment he put himself into (and ends up returning to anyway), and the third is the saddest — he just wants to belong. Slice puts men’s mental health right up to the front of the line, showcasing the lengths they’re willing to go to the be free, even if that means they wouldn’t be considered a “man” anymore. The sad part is that a lot of times, they don’t retain a proper support system and return to their ways soon after. That is the true horror here.
Slice works on many fronts: it’s anthology set-up gives multiple opportunities for finding a story you personally resonate with, it doesn’t shy away from intimate violence, and it serves as an allegory to real issues like mental health and addiction. While slower-paced, Slice glides effortlessly through the rough patches and shoves some gnarly nuance right in your face. The budget is small, but its shocks are sure to light a fire under audiences.
Slice is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Follow Chet Turner on Instagram and web for more.
