Movie Review: ‘Slice’ – When Addiction and Fame Cost More Than You Bargained For.

What are you willing to sacrifice for fame or money? Or, perhaps more disturbing, what is the ultimate price you are willing to pay to satisfy a drug addiction?

I am sure anyone who gets asked these questions would not have their manhood as the answer. But ‘Slice‘ shows you how that can become a very real possibility for some people when desperation, addiction and the hunger for acceptance take over.

Slice, an anthology horror film built around three stories of men who give up their manhood for fame, money or drugs. The three stories are written and directed by Nick Iway, Dustin Mills and Austin Shell, with each filmmaker bringing his own disturbing interpretation of what desperation can push a person to do.

The film starts with a group sitting in a sobriety meeting. As the members share their experiences and feelings about addiction, it initially feels like just another meeting of recovering addicts. People are talking, listening and trying to make sense of the things that brought them there.

Then one person starts talking about “need” and how that can change everything, especially the masculine edge that once drove him into addiction.This is where you begin to understand the true intentions of the film.Sacrificing your manhood for money or drugs. Yes, your manhood. Not in the figurative sense, but literally. Your testicles.

The first story, ‘Ready Cash,’ follows Justin (played by Dave Parker), an addict who is drowning in debt and being harassed by his supplier. He has until Wednesday to pay what he owes, but he clearly has neither the money nor any obvious way of getting it.

Out of desperation, he takes up a deal that had been proposed to him earlier. He is to go to a cult and have his “manhood” taken in a ritual in exchange for money.

Dave Parker‘s performance as Justin effectively captures the desperation of a man who has reached a point where almost any price seems worth paying. We see someone who is tired of his addiction but is also deeply concerned about the people around him, particularly his mother.

That desperation becomes even more evident when he begs his mother for money, only for her to remind him of the many bills he has left unpaid and how little he has contributed. It is an uncomfortable scene because, underneath the bizarre premise, there is something painfully familiar about the consequences of addiction.

The second story, ‘Into the Fold,’ comes from another participant at the sobriety meeting. Jesse (played by J. Myschkin) has just joined the popular metal band Krime and is beginning to enjoy the perks that come with fame, including the attention of groupies.

But Jesse has not truly been accepted into the group yet. The band leader tells him there is one final sacrifice he must make before he can fully belong. For Jesse, becoming a permanent member of the band is worth almost anything. Even self-castration. The band’s logic behind this initiation is as bizarre as it is disturbing. Only the leader is supposed to remain “the man” with his manhood intact.

Then comes the third story, ‘Paying Up.’ Here, another Justin finds himself owing $2,000 to a vicious debtor who does not hesitate to hurt people over much smaller debts. With the threat hanging over him, Justin’s girlfriend Joey suggests that she has an idea for how he could make $10,000 quickly. And yes, it also involves losing his nuts.

The film cuts back to the sobriety meeting after each story, allowing the different experiences to slowly build on the central theme. At first, the stories seem disconnected, but as ‘Slice’ progresses, you begin to see the common thread running through all three: the lengths people can go to when addiction, desperation and the desire to belong override everything else.

For an indie film, this feels pretty bare-bones in many places. But there is still something deliberate about the way it establishes its moral and emotional stakes. The filmmakers are clearly more interested in exploring the consequences of these choices than simply throwing gore at the audience for the sake of shock.

That said, this is not a horror film that will be for everyone. As a matter of fact, it might even feel like a chore for some people to sit through. The subject matter alone is enough to make some viewers uncomfortable, and the graphic nature of some of its most integral scenes(pun intended) certainly does not make the experience easier.

But there is something commendable about what the filmmakers have managed to accomplish with limited resources. ‘Slice’ speaks to the heart of indie filmmaking and collaboration. It may not leave you shell-shocked with endless gore or jump scares, but the graphic nature of its most important sequences, and how effectively they are executed, make you appreciate the effort that went into putting this strange little anthology together. That’s why I would score it 6.5/10.

Perhaps the biggest payoff comes at the very end. The way the three stories are eventually tied together gives the film a more satisfying climax and makes the earlier chapters feel more connected than they initially appeared. It is a weird, uncomfortable, and certainly not easy watch.