1 of 2 | Bianca Beckles-Rose’s “Slotherhouse” will premiere in theaters on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Gravitas
NEW YORK, Aug. 30 (UPI) — Director Matthew Goodhue describes his horror-comedy film, Slotherhouse, as an entertaining and exaggerated cautionary tale about the perils of social media obsession and the illegal trade of exotic animals.
Set to release on Wednesday, the story follows Emily Young (Lisa Ambalavanar), a college senior who clandestinely adopts an adorable yet illicitly obtained sentient sloth named Alpha, with the hope of gaining popularity in order to be elected president of her sorority, Sigma Lambda Theta.
Soon enough, Emily’s sorority sisters are found dead all over campus, leading to a gruesome confrontation with Alpha, an unlikely serial killer unlike any seen before in cinema.
The film features a talented cast comprising Sydney Craven, Olivia Rouyre, Bianca Beckles-Rose, Andrew Horton, Sutter Nolan, Grace Patterson, Milica Vrzić, Annamaria Serda, Rudi Rok, Tiff Stevenson, Stefan Kapičić, and Kelly Lynn Reiter.
“It incorporates many familiar horror elements,” Goodhue shared in a recent Zoom interview with UPI.
“The movie also explores the obsession with social media, the longing for acceptance and popularity that is particularly prevalent in today’s world, especially among younger generations.”
Emily’s priorities are centered around the carefully curated online persona she presents to others, rather than reality itself.
“She is solely focused on the number of ‘likes’ she receives and the number of messages she obtains,” explained Goodhue.
The film also delivers a powerful message about the exploitation of wild animals for the purpose of social media posts.
“I noticed that sloths had become an online phenomenon, with numerous memes and references,” the director said.
“When I first learned about the project, I also discovered that people were poaching these creatures and selling them at low prices.”
This behavior is not rooted in a genuine love for sloths or the desire to care for them, he emphasized.
Instead, individuals seek to attract attention to their social media accounts by featuring pictures of themselves with these adorable animals.
“While the images may appear cute, the question arises: ‘Do you have any idea about the risks and potential harm you are subjecting these creatures to?'” Goodhue posed.
He further added, “We aimed to address this serious dilemma within a movie that maintains a lighthearted and humorous tone. The horror genre provides an opportunity to tackle such significant societal issues. … If this movie makes someone reconsider buying a poached animal to gain popularity, then it would be deemed a success.”
As no real sloths were used in the movie, Goodhue couldn’t resist the chance to bring a puppet to life as the film’s central character.
“We wanted the audience to see this character on screen. We didn’t want to rely on point-of-view shots and only reveal the puppet in dark settings,” he expressed.
“Alpha had to be the protagonist of the film. Although I was aware of the challenges associated with practical effects [instead of animation], I, as a filmmaker, wanted to learn and explore. I wanted to see if we could bring to life a small, one-foot creature”
And what an extraordinary life Alpha leads!
Aside from murdering sorority members, she is depicted engaging in tasks beyond what one would expect from a sloth, such as driving a car and using a desktop computer mouse.
“We didn’t want to restrict ourselves. Audiences will be open to whatever we present. We don’t pretend that this is a completely ordinary sloth confined to trees. After all, the movie is titled Slotherhouse. We want to have as much fun as possible,” Goodhue remarked.
The filmmakers deliberately chose to portray Alpha as a female character, deviating from the traditional horror movie archetype that typically focuses on male figures like Freddy, Jason, Chucky, Leatherface, and Michael Myers.
“By doing so, we break away from the convention of the typical horror killer and create this intriguing dynamic between Alpha and the sorority girls, particularly during moments where Alpha reaches for and desires the tiara for herself,” Goodhue shared.
“She yearns to become the queen of the castle. It’s empowering and fascinating at the same time,” he concluded.
