SXSW Film Review: Slanted

Slanted, written and directed by Amy Wang, is a dystopian teen drama where any person of color can have a painless and quick cosmetic surgery that makes you white.

It’s a trippy idea that feels born from movies like Mean Girls, but with a dash of Cronenberg body horror flair. Wang’s able to balance the bizarre and outlandish premise fairly well, and once you get past a certain hurdle that will take quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, the film’s themes are poignant and thought-provoking.

The film follows high schooler Joan Huang, played by Shirley Chen, who has dreamed of becoming prom queen since her move to America at a very young age. But living in a small, racist, white-centric town has prevented her from embracing herself and her culture. In her pursuit to fit in with the whiteness that surrounds her, she undergoes a permanent racial transformation that makes her white to win the crown she has coveted for so long.

Chen is so charismatic as Joan, that it's almost a bit deflating when she has to be replaced by McKenna Grace post-surgery. Although the directorial choice was the best one for the premise (and Grace is very good in her part), it’s hard to let go of Chen, which does fuel the fire of the film’s themes of accepting and loving how your culture makes you who you are.

If there was one critique to be had, it would be the fact that Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (known for her leading role in Netflix teen comedy Never Have I Ever) is not in the film enough. Ramakrishnan plays Joan’s cool, confident best friend who challenges her self-loathing throughout the film. Every time Ramakrishnan is in a scene, it stands out. She is gone too soon from Slanted’s third act – but in all fairness her character is secondary to Joan’s parents, who provide the emotional weight of the film.

Fang Du in particular, who plays Joan’s father, is an absolute delight. His smile lights up the entire frame, with an exuberant energy that’s utterly charming. When his disappointment in his daughter’s decisions finally hits, it’s absolutely crushing. Joan’s mother, played by Vivian Wu, also gives a performance that’s complex and powerful.

Slanted is more than just its performances, though. Wang puts her whole soul into the film, and it radiates. There’s nothing superficial about her teenage dramedy, which is thoughtful and boundary-pushing. It’s a feature debut that many would dream of, one that utilizes tropes without making them feel exhausted. Slanted might not be perfect, but what coming-of-age film about a teenage girl needs to be?

Screens again Monday, March 10 and Wednesday, March 12.

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Slanted

Narrative Feature Competition, World Premiere

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