Fantasia ’15 Review: SLUMLORD

World Premiere

USA, 2015

Directed by Victor Zarcoff

[vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/130414083″]

It’s sometimes hard for us genre enthusiasts to have to explain to cookie cutters exactly why we like the films we do: “that film was terrible”(exactly, it`s so bad, that it`s good), “that film was revolting”(exactly, that`s the best part), “that film scared the shit out of me”(exactly, it`s good to feel something), “that film was a pretty cool remake” (exactly, fuck you!).

What I realized however, is that the further you crawl down that scummy sewer pipe, the harder it gets to keep yourself presentable and clean. And while you can usually get rid of that dirty feeling left by a grimy film simply by hopping into a quick shower, certain movies like Slumlord, make you want to avoid the bathroom altogether. Does that mean that I liked Slumlord? Should my mom have breastfed me more as a child?

Slumlord, which had its world premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival 2015, is one of those greasy films that gives you the feeling you might have swallowed something that you weren’t supposed to. While not overly “graphic” or “splattery”, Slumlord`s iconic landlord character is so effectively gross, he`d likely relate perfectly to Joe Spinell`s character from Maniac. Neville Archambault’s performance as landlord Gerald is simply fascinating. If you`re fascinated by wet, glistening, clammy skin that is.

Slumlord introduces us to a young, pregnant couple, who moves into a new rental home as they await the arrival of their newborn.  Like with all relationships, there seems to be some discord, but this soon becomes an afterthought when they meet their landlord, Gerald. What`s that smell you ask? Rotting meat, dead animals? Nope. It`s Gerald….and he`s happy to meet you.

Playing on the viewers sense of intimacy, security and propriety, Slumlord takes the viewer into Gerald`s dark and twisted world, as he spies on his unsuspecting tenants via hidden cameras set up in every nook and cranny of the house, going from one moist tissue to the next. Things of course spiral out of control and the last act sort of falls apart when the couple get a whiff of what`s actually going down. That`s not the point however. The point is that director Zarcoff succeeded in bringing the peeping-tom angle away from simple curious fetish, to the sick, creepy, deranged activity that it can be. Even in today`s age of reality television, where we are all accustomed to the preying eye of the camera, I couldn’t bring myself to checking social media after sitting down for this film, out of fear of relating to Gerald just a tiny bit.

A soppy, wet mess of a film that you`d be embarrassed to explain to your loved ones exactly why you sit down to watch such things. Good job on making me think twice about using my toilet.

So long sunshine, I’m out!

-Jo Satana