Slapface

Slapface is based on writer-director Jeremiah Kipp’s short film of the same name. The busy filmmaker (with nearly 22 fully completed shorts and feature-length titles since 2018 alone) has something he wants to say about trauma, bullying, and the different ways people deal with grief. But, with an onslaught of parable horror movies and bearing more than a passing resemblance to the ho-hum Antlers, does this dramatic horror tale find a way to stand out?

Lucas (August Maturo) and his older brother Tom (Mike Manning) are all they have left after an accident took their parents. While the 20-something Tom is doing his best, Lucas often acts out, with the town sheriff (Dan Hedaya) bailing the kid out of trouble when necessary. But Lucas isn’t just acting out because he needs a therapist, as his schoolmates tease and torment him. Making matters worse is that his only friend, Moriah (Mirabelle Lee), keeps it a secret from everyone else.

“…a monster…takes its wrath out on those who hurt Lucas.”

Tom’s life is a bit better, with steady work and a caring girlfriend named Anna (Libe Barer). But, one day, Anna disappears. Tom is concerned, especially because he thinks Lucas might have something to do with it. Why? Well, because he’s always covered in blood or bruises/ Though Lucas claims it was his friend, a monster (Lukas Hassel), who takes its wrath out on those who hurt Lucas. Is the monster real, or is Lucas’ trauma too much for him to face? Is anyone safe, or does the evil being have its own agenda?

Slapface takes a long, long time to start working. Bear in mind the film is barely 85-minutes long, credits included. Oddly enough, the solution is to make it longer. See, the film doesn’t work right away because of the dichotomy between what viewers see and what they’re told. The bullies, twins Donna and Rose (Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio), are introduced tackling Lucas for allegedly stealing Moriah’s notebook from school. Is the theft shown to us? No. So it’s just this poor kid being hurt for no reason. Yes, he does eventually confess, claiming to have taken it because the notebook was there. But, duress people, duress.