Horror Movie Review: Slay Belles (2016)

Not to be confused with the 2018 comedy horror of the same name, this Slay Belles is an ultra-low budget holiday slasher horror. One that stars an array of talented (and some not so talented) drag Queens.

A 40-minute homage to slashers, albeit one with its tongue (and other bits) well and truly tucked. Slay Belles was written by James Wirth and directed by Joseph Trione. It stars RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 contestant Jaymes Mansfield. Dora Diamond, Dixie Kuppe, Mariana Trench, Sylvia Nixxx, Colin Acumen, Toyota Corona, Ester Marie Flonaze, Dear Ruthie, Vynell Grits and Veruca Voorhees.

An eclectic mix of pun-spitting, innuendo-obsessed, bitchy but likable, family and friends who have gathered for a Christmas party. One to remember as a serial killer is on the loose. A person who has used the image red suited jolly fat man as his inspiration.

As the bodies begin to pile up, loyalties will be tested and friendships stretched. For these Queens, Santa has a surprise in his sack and it’s one with a pointy edge.

Ok, it’s hard to not play along with the silliness of Slay Belles. It’s not a film to be taken seriously nor is it even trying to be anything but a campy homage to holiday slashers. It more than delivers in the puerile sense but if you’re hoping for something with depth to it, you’re looking under the wrong tree.

The cast is huge, which makes standing out from the pack, difficult. This does mean some of the cast are utterly forgettable, whereas as others get a handful of lines and dial up the cheese. Resulting in stuff that isn’t exactly funny, more awkward than anything. There’s a lot of vying for screen time here.

It’s an ultra-low budget horror and it does show. It looks like it might have been filmed on a phone, an old one at that. The location is a mix of bland backstage hallways and a main hall that is pretty sparse on the festivities. Which is a bit of a shame as what this movie could really have done with, is dialling the Christmas up to 11. There are deaths a-plenty but not a whole lot of gore and the killer’s outfit is the sort of thing a pound-store Santa might wear even if the mask is quite creepy looking.

Slay Belles is exactly what it says it is. Nothing more and nothing less.