I’ll admit to grading this one on a curve, giving allowance for its novice cast and low budget. But it gets extra credit for being a spunky little film with a cool vibe. Plus points for filming in such a beautiful location.
The film is set in a small Inuit fishing village just south of the Arctic Circle. It follows young teen girls as they hang out, grumble about boys and their town, and go on adventures. Unfortunately, there just so happens to be a body snatching alien invasion under way and these young ladies have to save the day.
The film has a sense of fun, some cool editing, and an even cooler soundtrack. The production value is remarkably good. This is a professional looking film that appears to have been filmed on location in northern Canada. The cinematography of the natural environment and the small fishing town is beautiful.
Most of the cast are first timers and credit to the filmmakers for hiring (presumably) local. It’s always tough to be critical of young actors, but its hard to deny some of these girls need a little more seasoning which makes the film feel a little creaky. The lead actors, however, are solid and charismatic and that’s what counts.
The CGI effects on the body snatched animals are not the best. Sometimes ok, sometimes less so. Unfortunately, the characters make direct reference to John Carpenter’s The Thing which puts their effects work under a microscope. Amusingly though, the humans who are body snatched wear particularly bad looking masks but the movie cleverly notes that the aliens are bad at body snatching. Work with what ya got!
It’s pacing gets a little draggy in the third act but it mostly comes together in the end. This is more an ’80s throwback adventure story than a horror film, but younger kids kids might get some scares. Older folk will just enjoy the pulpy sci-fi ride. And there’s a strong teen girl empowerment message… and a little message about protecting indigenous lands (Slash Back is Land Back?).
Allowances for production and novice actors aside, I’d recommend this movie for its spunk, production values, and editing. It gets some extra credit for its Inuit village setting and casting. It’s a fun, if slightly uneven, one.
Score: 76