“Scary Poppins: A Review of 'Slapface' (2021)
No, “Slapface” isn’t a new boogeyman set to launch a franchise that winds up in Manhattan or outer space. It’s a game played by two grieving brothers who just lost their parents in a car accident, though from what we gather, the mother was the only one worth grieving. There’s still a monster, in the form of the Virago Witch, a local legend who intrigues despite how little we see of her. Keeping the monster at bay is usually a deliberate choice, but it’s not clear here.
Twins are the worst. Besides the Virago Witch.
Tom (Mike Manning) is trying to raise his younger brother Lucas (August Maturo) in upstate New York. He’s hampered by the heavy drinking and trauma from the accident, which is why his idea of child rearing involves him and Lucas slapping each other continuously in the face as a bonding exercise. It’s never not weird, but college students have done stranger things for fun (don’t ask me about “ballpipe”). It’s obviously not helping Lucas, who winds up sneaking into an abandoned asylum and encountering the Witch, who takes a liking to the traumatized boy. At times it’s unclear what Lucas gets out of the relationship, but even a silent monster can be preferable to Tom’s attempts at giving him a Coors Light and telling him “no means no and always wear a condom.” He’s not wrong, but that’s about it.
“Slapface” is the feature length expansion of writer/director Jeremiah Kipp’s short film. It’s like his “Mama” with the Virago Witch once again being played by Lukas Hassel. You won’t really notice the gender difference, because there’s not much to the Witch beyond a striking silhouette, which is frightening even in broad daylight. Think a raggedy Bughuul from “Sinister.” We never hear her talk or get a good look at her face, which seems less like a choice and more like realizing the makeup isn’t working on certain shooting days. Still, the Witch is an oddly effective companion for Lucas, who is so lonely and downtrodden, you start to wonder if he’s just imagining the malevolent entity. Until you realize he’s not.
The exposition is sparse and the characters are mostly internal, so getting into their world can be a little like pulling teeth. Manning and Maturo can feel like they’re in acting exercises in some of their scenes together, but their pain is well-established. The cast succeeds to various degrees (Hey Dan Hedaya! Good to see you again, even as “Sheriff Exposition”), but the stand-outs are Maturo and Libe Barer, who brings life to a small role as Tom’s girlfriend Anna, as well as Mirabelle Lee as Lucas’ “too-young-to-call-her-a-girlfriend,” Moriah.
Lucas (August Maturo) questions his life choices.
Kipp is effective at creating a cool autumnal atmosphere, which contrasts well with the Witch. “Slapface” isn't your typical “outcast-gets-revenge-through-supernatural-means” story, but it could have benefitted from letting us in a little more.
“Slapface” will premiere on Shudder on February 3, 2022.
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