Slasher: Flesh & Blood, the newest entry in the Slasher horror anthology series, joins a strong tradition of horror about terribly rich people. The past decade has brought us gems like You’re Next, Get Out, Mayhem, the Purge franchise, Ready or Not, and a lot more to see how the 1% get knocked over. (Knives Out and Succession also come to mind outside of horror.)
In his new home with horror streamer Shudder, Season 4 of Slasher takes this trope to some fun – and really vicious – places.
It takes its place among these new classics as a skillful confrontation with our increasingly multi-layered reality as we watch a privileged family disintegrate, sometimes literally bloody.
Cashbox: Everything you need to know about Shudder
The horror miniseries starring Canadian horror icon David Cronenberg as the strict and sadistic patriarch of a shipping dynasty attacked by a brutal murderer starts on December 12. Android authority had the chance to see the first four episodes before the premiere.
Shudder
Time to scream with this horror streaming service
Horror movie fans will find plenty to see on the Shudder streaming service. It offers a collection of classic and newer horror films of all kinds
Why is?
As in previous parts of the Slasher franchise, Flesh & Blood follows characters who are haunted by a masked killer.
Slasher Season 4 follows the wealthy Galloway clan who meet for their annual family reunion at his father’s private island home. But this year is different from previous meetings. It marks 25 years since the kidnapping and alleged death of one of Galloway’s grandchildren.
It also serves as a chance for the Galloway paterfamilias to have his children vie for his respect and fortune when he reveals his impending death. The Galloways have a morbid tradition of competing for prizes in vicious tournaments. This year’s award is bigger. The winner receives the entire family fortune. The losers don’t get away with anything.
Family reunification can be murder.
But there is more. When the spoiled (but hungry for affection) Galloways plan to stab each other in the back – figuratively? – a mysterious masked figure pursues them with even more sinister motifs.
The new season slowly spreads information, building tension and intrigue as the number of corpses grows. Nobody is innocent, but nothing is what it seems either. All families have drama and skeletons in their closets, but the Galloways are a special type of dysfunction.
Slasher season 4 brings the horrors
Rich people are the worst!
This is one of the clearest takeaways from Slasher Season 4.
However, it is not a simple story that is rich. There is no clear sense that the bad guys are getting what they deserve as they are being picked up one at a time. They’re bad on the whole, but their interpersonal conflicts are fascinating and complex. Nor is it clear that the masked stranger is the only killer among them.
Have the Galloway children suffered enough under the thumb of their sadistic father? Or are they complicit in his cruel manner?
Slasher: Flesh and Blood is a fresh and cruel treat.
The season is uneven at times, with the sound stumbling a bit before landing where it belongs. However, once things start moving, it’s a close little nightmare. The remote location with no way of contacting the outside world, the crime thriller mystery, and the slowly uncovered flashbacks that fill in important gaps make this horror series a horror series worth watching.
Slasher: Flesh & Blood is a fresh and cruel treat.
A new home at Shudder
Slasher Season 4’s new home at Shudder makes a lot of sense.
Aaron Martin’s anthology series premiered in 2016 on Super Channel and the now-discontinued Chiller. From there, Netflix took over the rights to a second and third season before the series was canceled due to low viewership.
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Now, horror-centric streamer Shudder, owned by AMC, has stepped in to take on the latest season.
Returning slasher actors in Flesh & Blood include Christopher Jacot as former Galloway heir Seamus, Paula Brancati as his wife Christy, Sabrina Grdevich as Galloway daughter Florence, Patrice Goodman as long-time family girl Birgit, and Jefferson Brown as an employee who looks after the family boats.
New to the franchise are Rachael Crawford, Jeananne Goossen, Sydney Meyer and Alex Ozerov, as well as Cronenberg and others.
Switching to a dedicated horror outlet makes a lot of sense. Season 4 of Slasher is pretty heavy and doesn’t skimp on the chills or the gnarled graphic violence.
The season is a solid entry into the franchise. Hopefully it will find its audience at Shudder and secure more blood-soaked seasons.