Slash/Back

Alien invasion movies are often at their most exciting than when they happen in a world we can relate to, which feels like home. That sucks if one happens to be Inuit. Early on in Slash/Back we see its young heroines discussing John Carpenter’s The Thing in that exaggerated, not quite accurate way that sheltered teenagers do, but nothing exciting ever happens in Pangnirtung, in frozen Nunavut. Bored Maika (Tsiana Shirley) is just biding time until she can get out of there and head for the bright lights and glamour of Winnipeg.

Viewers may see the place a little differently, having been privy to a prologue in which a visiting American scientist daft enough to move towards a roaring sound is eaten face first – and not by a bear. There’s something sinister in the snow and before long the girls run straight into it. Inuit myths and science fiction scenarios intertwine by way of some slightly rough-looking but nonetheless evocative special effects, and soon this population of you would-be hunters become the hunted – something which they cannot allow to stand. You don’t mess with the girls from Pang.

Nyla Innuksuk’s energetic feature début was created primarily with an Inuit audience in mind and is full of knowing humour, not all of which translates. Nevertheless, there’s a good deal for viewers elsewhere to enjoy, along with the experience of spending time in an environment which cinema generally ignores. it’s not cut off in all the ways that viewers might expect – the girls’ lives still revolve around their phones, with no convenient signal interruptions. Nevertheless, with only two police officers in town and any other such support far away, squabbling over boys has to take a back seat as they deal with the invasion themselves. It doesn’t help that it’s the summer solstice, so all the adults are partying and drunk.

Youth-focused as it is, this isn’t as grim as many such tales, but it has no shortage of gore and there are some really creepy scenes. The characters are beautifully observed. Maika has a lot of heart but is doing her best to be a mean girl and has quite a talent for saying the wrong thing. She’s constantly at odds with Uki (Nalajoss Ellsworth), who loves Pang and is heavily invested in folklore which Maika rejects, leading to constant posturing over who is the best hunter – the truth being that neither seems to be quite as skilled as she thinks she is. They fall out and make friends again with the rapidity special to that age, whilst other girls struggle to assert themselves from the sidelines.

Most of the roles were locally cast, and the performances lack polish, but all things considered, it’s a commendable effort. The rich vein of humour mined throughout makes up for a lot and keeps it entertaining. If you only see two films about young indigenous women fighting aliens this year, make sure that this is one of them. Inuit film has come of age, and one hopes that Slash/Back will inspire a good deal more.