RLJE Films have acquired Nyla Innuksuk’s Slash/Back, the indigenous Canadian alien invasion flick, and will release it in cinemas later this year. It will also be available on VOD/Digital and stream on Shudder at that time.
Okay, this is weird, but also cool. Just this past weekend I found out that Slash/Back was playing at one of the local rep cinema's here in town. Lamenting the point that I had missed the screening but also pissed that we've heard fuck all about it from its distributor I did end up finding it unceremouniously dumped for rent on another major streamer.
But now this news yesterday? The universe has an algorithm all its own.
Our own Josh was able to catch its world premiere at SXSW but had been singing praises for the project since it was presented at Frontieres during Fantasia.
You will find his full review here but here are the final sentences to whet your appetite. It’s a bloody, fun time on a piece of land that doesn’t see the light of a cinema screen much outside of Canada, and I love that about it. Slash/Back straddles the line between E.T. and Attack the Block with grace and plenty of action, these girls kick a lot of ass and genre fans young and old should eat this up.
We will share more information with you as the premiere dates draw closer.
RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, and Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, have acquired Nyla Innuksuk’s crowd-pleasing SLASH/BACK, produced by Good Question Media, following its successful premiere at this year’s SXSW. The film is expected to be released in theaters, on VOD/Digital and will stream on Shudder later this year.The feature directorial debut of Innuksuk, who also co-wrote the film with Ryan Cavan (The Secret Goat), SLASH/BACK stars Tasiana Shirley, Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth and Chelsea Prusky.“SLASH/BACK was a critics’ favorite at SXSW, as seen by its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes,” said Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer at RLJE Films. “The brilliant effects, strong female leads and fun, adventurous story make this a film we know audiences are going to love.”Set in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a sleepy hamlet nestled in the majestic mountains of Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean, SLASH/BACK opens as the village wakes up to a typical summer day. No School, no cool boys (well... except one), and 24-hour sunlight. But for Maika and her ragtag friends, the usual summer is suddenly not in the cards when they discover an alien invasion threatening their hometown. These teenagers have been underestimated their whole lives but, using makeshift weapons and their horror movie knowledge, they show the aliens you don't f*** with the girls from Pang.“It was a dream to make SLASH/BACK alongside my talented teenage cast in one of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet and I am thrilled to be partnering with RLJE Films/Shudder to bring our quirky alien movie to a wider audience,” said Innuksuk. “We look forward to working with our new friends at RLJE Films/Shudder, fellow genre nerds who we feel really appreciate SLASH/BACK and all its heartfelt horror love.”Innuksuk produced SLACK/BACK along with Daniel Bekerman (The Witch), Alex Ordanis (Percy Vs Goliath), and Chris Yurkovich (Opening Night) of Good Question Media, as well as Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk), Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Qanurli?), and Ethan Lazar (The Prodigy).