Not to be confused with 1982’s The Slumber Party Massacre, remake/reboot Slumber Party Massacre (2021) pays homage to the first and second movies in this slasher trilogy. Just when you thought the slumbering and massacring was over, Danishka Esterhazy and Suzanne Keilly bring it all back with the tagline, “You know the drill.” If you know the previous movies, then you do know the drill- a group of teen girls has a slumber party interrupted by a killer maniac with a power drill. Slumber Party Massacre remake/reboot (henceforth known as SPMR) tries to bring some new equipment to the toolbelt. But is it worth taking for a spin?
The original The Slumber Party Massacre (henceforth known as SPMI) was meant to be a parody of slasher films. It is unique in that it is written and directed by women, Amy Holden Jones and Rita Mae Brown, and is one of the first “feminist slasher films” to grace screens. The second and third films of the series followed suit in that they were directed and written by women, but each took a very different approach with the second one being a dark comedy and the third one…well, the third one is a movie.
Cut to 2021, where the team of Esterhazy and Keilly add their spin on the franchise, and they come from a unique place of being fans of the original franchise. In an interview with Fanversation, Esterhazy explains her feelings about the series: “I heard about this slasher franchise written and directed by women which got me very excited. And I checked them out right away. But I think as an adult I was a little torn about my feelings… I had really high hopes. Some of them were met, and in other ways I was very disappointed.” When talking about a remake with Syfy, Esterhazy was really excited to make her mark: “I thought oh this is my opportunity to kind of make the movie that I always wanted. From a fan point of view, I can take all the things I love about that series of films and then I can put all the stuff I wish had been in the original films. And make it a gift for the next generation of horror fans.”
To do so, Esterhazy and Keilly tried to keep the feminist essence of the original while incorporating some of the dark comedy of SPMII and modern sensibilities to even things out. Case in point: the fellas. SPMR’s male characters get treated the way most female characters get treated, with the camera lovingly watching as the boys get in booze-soaked pillow fights replete with abs akimbo and thigh-hugging short shorts. The fellas are, by and large, dummies, some of whom don’t even get real names (seriously, they’re just Guy One and Guy Two).
The film brazenly has the guys say things like, “My toxic masculinity is forcing me into it.” And one of the biggest cheering moments is when the victims are being blamed for the Driller Killer’s actions, like so many have been blamed when something bad happens to them, and Dana (Hannah Gonera) states, “How about you just NOT MURDER PEOPLE!” Sometimes, you gotta send subtlety crashing out of the sliding glass door to make sure even the most dense and distracted moviegoer can’t miss the message.
Plot description and Spoilers below!
But SPMR isn’t all about the fellas. Far from it. Things get started with a flashback to 1993, with a group of gals having a slumber party interrupted by the new Driller Killer, Russ Thorn (Rob van Vuuren). Van Vuuren gives a good performance as the Driller Killer, embodying his entitled mania and incredible crazy eyes.
New Driller Killer commits the same sin of all Driller Killers: he can’t seem to manage to defeat that pesky Final Girl, in this case, Trish (Schelaine Bennett). Trish knocks DK into the lake… but his body… is never found! DUM DUM DUM!
Cut to present day, where Trish’s daughter, Dana (Hannah Gonera), and her friends, Maeve (Frances Sholto-Douglas), Breanie (Alex McGregor), and Ashley (Reze-Tiana Wessels) go on a road trip. Part way they discover Maeve’s little sister, Alix (Mila Rayne), stowed away in their car and now it’s too late to go back to drop her off. So she’s one of the girls now- every little sister’s dream come true! The car suddenly breaks down in the same town where the Driller killings happened, and the women end up staying… in a cabin across the lake from the original cabin because a group of bros are staying there. Huh?
From there the killings start, but the women came prepared- this was all according to plan. They lock down their cabin, break out the weapons, and get ready to put some holes in the Driller Killer. This girls’ trip was actually one of vengeance to put Dana’s mom’s mind at ease knowing the Driller Killer was gone for good. After several of the boys die, the women manage to kill Russ… but the movie’s only half over at that point. So what could possibly happen…oh wait! The killings start up again! But who could it be? Russ was very, very dead- the ladies made sure of it. Turns out it’s Russ’s mom, Friday the 13th style. The women take down Mommy Dearest (Jennifer Steyn) with the help of Trish, coming out with bragging rights after defeating two slashers. SPMR also has one of the highest survival counts in slasher history. Then- CREDITS, The Octagon-style.
Sometimes being a fan of the source material does NOT help creators who make the next installment of a franchise but Esterhazy and Keilly manage to pull it off! SPMR pays tribute to the original with numerous homages both subtle and overt while modernizing the whole thing for a more media-savvy audience. There is a bit of tonal whiplash, as it starts serious, gets silly, then gets serious again for the final act, so depending on your need for tonal consistency you may find the changes of pace refreshing or distracting. Regardless, Esterhazy and Keilly created an enjoyable flick which stands head-and-shoulders above most remakes and slasher movies, with a glossy feminism coat in every scene that I am here for 100%.
Disclaimer: Just because I am the Action Flick Chick and love action movies does not mean I condone real life violence in any way. Everyone has their own shit to deal with, be nice to each other.
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