Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Slay (2024) is a Tubi original horror comedy about four drag queens who mistakenly book a gig in a redneck bar that gets invaded by vampires.
The film opens with Rufus (Shane Kruger) being attacked by a vampire as he’s taking a leak outside. It then cuts to four drag queens, Mama Sue Flay (Trinity the Tuck), Robin Banks (Heidi N Closet), Bella Da Boys (Crystal Methyd), and Olive Wood (Cara Melle), arriving at their latest venue, The Bold Buck.
It doesn’t take long for the queens to realize they’re at a straight bar with a rough clientele. However, they get out of the van and enter. They’re greeted by Dusty (Neil Sandilands), the bartender, who is willing to let them perform despite the mix up. However, the queens are apprehensive about staying until two fans rush in, eager to see their act. Not wanting to let their fans down, they agree to go on.
Dusty takes the drag queens to the changing room, where they get ready to go on. And once they begin to perform, Rufus rushes in and starts to attack the patron. And the fun begins.
Some Thoughts:
Slay starts off strong, then falls apart halfway through. It’s a shame because there are some strong performances and well-developed characters. Of the supporting cast, Shelia (Robyn Scott), a regular at the bar, and Earl (Warrick Grier), the guy in charge of lighting, stand out. Although both are minor characters, Scott and Grier make the viewer care about them.
Of the central cast, Heidi N Closet gives the best overall performance. She infuses every scene she’s in with a charm that can’t be denied.
Although the majority of the humor is on, there are a few jokes that fall flat. It tries too hard to please a wide audience and loses the horror aspect because of it. There’s plenty of splatter for the gore hungry, but little suspense. This is a shame because Slay has such a strong opening and premise.
There are plenty of horror movies that play loose with vampire lore, but I feel that Slay took it a bit too far. Having them able to walk around in daylight was fine but having them explode in a cloud of glittery dust when they die was too much.
The message in Slay is so heavy handed that it gets in the way. Being true to yourself and respecting others for who they are is great, but it shouldn’t take over the movie.
While Crystal Methyd is a fierce queen, she seems out of place. Not only is her drag different from the other three queens, but her type of comedy isn’t well suited to the film. She needs a project that centers on her in order to shine.
If you’re a horror movie fan, you may find the story and setting very similar to Feast (2005).
The Final Verdict:
Although Slay (2024) falls apart halfway through, fans of the four drag queens involved will probably enjoy it.
