Upon its release in 2015, The Slashening was well-received among critics and horror fans for its satirical wit. At the 2018 Milwaukee Twisted Dreams Festival, the film won the Best Supporting Actor and Best Makeup awards. Given its success, Brandon Bassham decided to crowdfund a sequel on IndieGoGo, much like he did on his other films. While most of the cast was new, Billy Bob Thompson and Patrick Foy returned for the sequel. Of the $10,000 flexible goal, the film raised over $8,000 for production, which added to the total $15,000 budget. Regarding the sequel, Bassham promised that it would be “the bloodiest, dirtiest horror/comedy ever made.” Like Bassham’s last two movies, Troma picked up this one for distribution and was released in 2021. In April 2021, Slashening: The Final Beginning had its LA premiere, followed by a release on Troma Now.
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Synopsis
Five years after the last film, Madison Santangeli (Addie Weyrich) moves to Brooklyn and joins a support group. Her father owned the pizza parlor where the murdered delivery drivers worked, killing his business and leading to suicide. The support group is led by Pat (Patrick Foy), who survived his mutilations, with his girlfriend Cher (Madonna Refugia). There’s also Viv (Jean Louise O’Sullivan), Bex (Jaime Lutz), Greg (Carl Foreman Jr.), Dylan (McManus Woodend), and Kyle (Jon Bershad). Maddie seeks solace in her friend Kim (Rasheda Crockett), who helps her cope with talks in the bathtub. Unfortunately, a copycat killer is picking off the support group members one by one in increasingly gruesome ways. As the body count rises, Maddie learns more about the killer than expected, including the number of killers. Will she survive her attackers or be another victim of the new slashening?
Review
If you enjoyed The Slashening, you’d most likely enjoy Slashening: The Final Beginning since it’s more or less the same. Like that film, this one has plenty of gags and gore to keep you entertained, though your mileage may vary. Admittedly, some of the jokes don’t land, but there are plenty that hit, and no group is spared from ridicule. These include guys pretending to be feminists to get laid and white women threatening black business owners with negative reviews. Unfortunately, there are times when the gags are stretched out too long, but luckily, they’re few and far between. It’s a horror-comedy that leans a bit more into comedy, but plenty of horrors can be had. The gore effects are minimal, but there are plenty of bloody moments and inventive kills involving ukuleles and corkscrews. There’s even some nudity added in, which came as a shock.
Everyone in the cast does a commendable job taking the material seriously while being in on the joke. Addie Weyrich makes for a likable lead, acting as the straight man to all the insanity around her. Jean Louise O’Sullivan and Jaime Lutz are having fun playing two stereotypical stuck-up, entitled white women you love to hate. Patrick Foy is funny as the lone survivor from the original, and Madonna Refugia is excellent as the insane girlfriend. Speaking of hateable characters, McManus Woodend plays into the incel trope well, and hearing people insult him is hilarious. Some might find the humor too political, but it works because both sides are made fun of. Some parts of the movie drag at an hour and twenty minutes, but watching with friends is still fun. Overall, Slashening: The Final Beginning is a hilariously bloody slasher spoof that builds on what made the original enjoyable.
Watch Slashening: The Final Beginning on Troma Now: https://bit.ly/3MAlkew.
