“Slanted” follows Chinese-American teenager Joan Huang, who attempts to fit in with her peers by undergoing an experimental cosmetic surgery that turns people of color white.
Immediately, “Slanted” will draw comparisons to “The Substance.” And rightfully so. Both films explore similar ideas – though here, age is replaced by race.
Writer-director Amy Wang makes “Slanted” stand apart from that counterpart through its exploration of immigration. Specifically, the pressure of conformity in a “white-washed” American society. The film illustrates feelings of isolation and desire in simple but effective ways.
The editing plays a big role in this. By showcasing Joan’s life pre-surgery and post-surgery, the audience sees the difference in how others treat her. “Slanted” is sometimes too heavy-handed with this, but it’s by design. The film takes a comedic approach to exploring race – which sometimes works and at other times feels too on-the-nose. The outcome, though, proves to be quite powerful.
Exploring Identity Through Satire
There is no perfect definition of what it means to be “American.” People from all around the world choose to come to the country, and they ultimately carve their own path in defining it. “Slanted” emphasizes this time and again, with a satirical approach that will have some viewers groaning and others laughing hysterically.
Much like recent entries including “The Substance” and “Grafted,” these themes are explored through body horror. In comparison, “Slanted” is much more tame. But it gets the job done. While the previously mentioned movies may have you wincing, this one likely won’t. The practical effects are subtle, serving as a way to get the point across without becoming the overall focus.
It’s because of this that the film’s themes resonate so strongly. It doesn’t want the horror to take the spotlight. Instead, it aims for the message to be center stage as the credits begin to roll – and it is.
Performances and High School Drama
Shirley Chen and Mckenna Grace co-star as the lead character. Chen is prominent through the first third of “Slanted,” bringing an abundance of emotion to the screen. Her character will likely resonate with many, and she makes Joan’s frustrations and desires feel real. Grace also showcases her range, just in a different way. She brings many similar traits to the character while also remaining charismatic and confident. Both actors excel in their own way to make the character whole, despite the different looks throughout the movie.
Other standouts include Vivian Wu (Sofia), Fang Du (Roger), Amelie Zilber (Olivia) and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Brindha).
Much like in “Grafted,” “Slanted” also has massive “Mean Girls” energy. After all, it’s essentially a high school drama. This adds to the comedy, with intentionally cheesy stereotypes filling the hallways. However, it’s also part of the problem.
The movie’s impactful moments are often undercut by uninteresting subplots. It can’t decide whether it wants to go full comedy, full horror or full teenage drama. The latter is more often than not the choice, which proves frustrating when there are family dynamics and individual character progressions that feel underdeveloped.
A Familiar Story With Few Surprises
With so many comparisons to be made, “Slanted” does suffer. The topics are relevant, but the story… not so much. Because this type of tale has been told so many times before, the film fails to be memorable. It doesn’t have any tricks up its sleeve, with most of the reveals predictable from the start. And without the blood and gore of similar entries, it doesn’t have a particular moment to latch onto.
You are also required to suspend a certain amount of disbelief while watching “Slanted.” With such an unbelievable surgery come surprisingly calm reactions. The film doesn’t raise the stakes enough when discussing “race swapping.” This causes many of the later sequences to fall flat, as seemingly inevitable consequences never arrive.
“Slanted” takes the American Dream – physically. Thematically it’s a success, but the story itself is all too reminiscent.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
