"SPITHOOD" (2024) Is A Tight And Tense Slasher From First Nation Filmmakers (REVIEW)
Have slasher films evolved? Sure, opening a review with a rhetorical question may not be the wisest of editorial choices, but it’s a question worth asking oneself. Since the dawn of the slasher film in the 70s, the tropes have largely remained unchanged. A killer, often masked, stalks people either because of some sort of personal connection or because they are just a nihilistic psychopath which then leads to them stalking and killing most of the cast before the end of the film. That core premise can be found in pretty much every slasher movie, albeit with different intentions and delivery, but from an evolutionary standpoint, the bones of the slasher seem to remain unchanged. Whether that’s a good, bad, or neutral thing isn’t for us to say at this juncture, but it is something we thought about when we watched “Spithood”, the latest from UK distributor, Devilworks. Is this Australian slasher adhering to the tried and true formula, or does it deviate towards the path of innovation?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
When a dangerous patient escapes confinement in a mental asylum and goes on a rampant killing spree, the night shift staff face their worst nightmare, as they fight for survival.
HOW IS IT?
“Spithood” is being marketed as a slasher film and the first mainstream Australian film without themes or story beats related to Aboriginal culture despite being penned by two First Nation Australians. Given we are predominantly a North American outlet, we are in a position to dispute the claim, but it does represent a shift in thinking around Indigenous film signifying that stories from Indigenous folks do not have to conform to educating the broader community about them, and instead can just be something as simple as a slasher, like “Spithood”. That aside, “Spithood” is a more than competent slasher film that uses strong performances and efficient storytelling that is no frills and like any good slasher movie, filled with some curious logic.
At a brisk 58 minutes, “Spithood” wastes no time getting right to the point. Within the first 15 minutes, all the pieces of the plot are established and ready to go as we are introduced to the last shift of workers overseeing the final night of a psychiatric ward before it closes down for good. If you’re thinking this is just a twist on the outstanding “Last Shift” and “Malum” you better think again, as “Spithood” differentiates itself by removing any sense of the supernatural in favor of a hulking brute hellbent on revenge. Once the wheels are in motion, “Spithood” moves at a breakneck pace as we see the skeleton crew trying to contain the killer, while also discovering there may be a bigger connection between him and the staff. What carries “Spithood” is the strong performances from the leads and a clever obscuring of budgetary restraints that still deliver effective and suspenseful sequences. On the performance front, the cast all feel like real people working at a real job, complete with inside jokes and minor backstory moments. How the characters interact establishes their tenure together far better than something more exposition-focused, and one character, in particular, reminds us of Percy Wetmore from “The Green Mile.”
It’s clear that “Spithood” is an independent production as it has all the hallmarks of something bootstrapped. Single location, small cast, and clever use of practical effects and camera work to gloss over any areas where additional budget would’ve been helpful. One such example is the first kill scene in which the inmate, Paul, savagely beats one of the security guards to death while he’s on the toilet. The scene is shot not close up, but with silhouette and sound so you can hear the devastating blows and see the shadows pummel each other, but never having to invest in the kind of practical effects to show the details. While we do get a shot to show the damage, it is a trick that is used again and again here to have some of the savagery occur on screen, and some of the more intense stuff occur off screen. Some may find this irksome, but again, this is likely a production with a limited budget so what is impressive isn’t the lack of, but rather the workaround. Like any good slasher, “Spithood” does have some logic that will make you scratch your head, but it never gets in the way of the story enough to take you out of it. The 58-minute runtime is quite perfect for the material, but we could see this being fleshed out for another 15 minutes to help layer in more backstory that may help to explain the logical leaps required for the film’s big twist.
LAST RITES
“Spithood” is a fun, fast, and ferocious blast of slasher goodness with a diverse cast and strong performances that are buoyed by clever production tricks. It isn’t without flaws, but what slasher film isn't?
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
“SPITHOOD” is now available in North America onPrime Video!
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