I love a good mystery. Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Scooby-Doo – anything where the central premise is uncovering the identity of the dastardly villain, or villains, behind it all. And I know I’m not alone. Mysteries have been popular ever since Edgar Allan Poe’s story ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ was published in 1841 and show no sign of abating.
What is the appeal? I’d argue that it is human curiosity – the compulsion to know who is behind the mask. I think is the same thing that fuels our amazement with magic tricks; the desire to know how it is done. Horror and mystery have been closely entwined since the very early days, from macabre writers like Poe to gothic creations like Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. Surprise is a key element in both, as well as the criminal element, the transgression of boundaries.
Early slasher films, like the original Halloween and Friday the 13th, didn’t feature much mystery, being more concerned with shock, titillation, and a masked killer hacking young people to pieces, and as such were generally considered trash cinema. (Editor: steady on, now) Scream changed this, adding in the ‘who’s behind the mask’ element which many subsequent horror films borrowed, adding in a puzzle or armchair detective angle for the viewer
‘Slasher’ is an anthology horror series very much in this tradition. Each season features a cast of characters being stalked by a masked killer, as their numbers dwindle down to a final few, as the audience guess who the killer might be. It’s towards the more extreme end of the gory spectrum, although perhaps not quite to the excess seen in the Saw and Hostel films. It’s not one to watch with anyone squeamish, or younger viewers, although seasoned horror viewers may roll their eyes a bit at one or two of the less believable effects. This element is there for those who want or expect it, but in most cases, it’s incidental to the plot.
Interestingly, some of the same actors are reused in different roles in later seasons, so part of the fun is watching out for this and saying things like ‘Oh look, it’s them! Didn’t they get beheaded in series one?’ I imagine it’s fun for the cast, as they get to play different parts.
This type of entertainment lives or dies on two things. One is the strength of the reveal. To have an impact, it must genuinely surprise the viewer, rather than be met with a disinterested shrug. It’s not enough that the killer could be anyone. Clever twists must also be present to mislead the savvy, the clues must be there for the eagle-eyed viewer to spot, and like all good twists, when it is revealed, it needs to all make sense, so the viewer thinks ‘Ah! That explains everything!” rather than “Huh?” so a re-watch stands up.
The other key element is presentation; to borrow a line from Batman Forever, “Your entrance was good, his was better. The difference? Showmanship.” Costumes, lighting, sets; all come into play to make the mystery feel larger than itself, to add to the creep factor, and to allow the audience to become immersed. Fortunately, for the most part, ‘Slasher’ delivers on both these things.
The first season features a masked figure in an executioner’s hood, who, in a flashback to Halloween, stabs a couple to death, one of whom is pregnant. The child survives, and becomes the main character of the series, as she moves back to her small-town childhood home, with her partner, who joins the local newspaper. Wouldn’t you know it? The killing starts again, but the original killer is locked in prison. It looks like we have a copycat. This first season is, in my view, probably the weakest of the three, but still offers enough elements which haven’t been too overdone. It doesn’t quite live up to its intriguing set-up, despite some twists and turns.
The second season, ‘Guilty Party’ features a small group of young adults returning to a summer camp where, a couple of years previously, they had murdered someone in a revenge plot that got out of hand, and then covered it up. They have learned that the area, now part of a new-age yoga retreat, is to be developed, which could lead to the discovery of the body. It’s now wintertime, and someone in a mask and hooded parka jackets starts bumping off the visitors as well as the new-age lot, some of whom are very suspicious. This season contains enough unexpected things to keep you watching, and the conclusion is satisfying.
‘Solstice’ is, for my money, the best of the first three seasons. It opens with a hedonist leaving a summer solstice party being killed in a run-down apartment complex by someone dressed in a Druid costume. The victim’s pleas for help are unanswered by his neighbours, all of whom have reasons to dislike him. Next year, at the build-up to the next solstice festival, people start dying again and the police realise that they are all residents of the same apartment building where the original victim died. The solution is excellent, and the acting sells the whole thing well, particularly Baraka Rahmani, who plays the viewpoint character Saadia. It benefits from a well-crafted and intelligent script that has something to say about our performative culture, as well as the divisions which separate people who have much in common.
The third season is also the best, in my view, for cinematography. The neon-lit strips, the excellent design of the Druid costume, the claustrophobia of the world these characters live in, all create a distinct look and feel which is also a treat for the eye. The story has enough complexity to keep it interesting, while not making it too difficult to follow.
A new series ‘Flesh and Blood’ has been produced recently, with a cast including AJ Simmons, in which the head of a wealthy family takes his relatives to an island where they must compete in games to inherit his fortune – and of course, get picked off by a masked killer. I’m looking forward to it.
You can watch ‘Slasher’ on Netflix and Shudder. If this is your kind of thing, I’d recommend it, particularly season three.
