Notable Cast: Tatiana Nya Ford, Emily Classen, Zach Ruchkin, Paul Cottman,
Cayla Berejikian, Christopher Inlow, Jeb Aufiero, Nancy Anne Ridder, Jim Krut,
Matt Burns
First, there was the meta-slasher. Scream and Wes
Craven’s New Nightmare took the slasher blueprint, spun it just a smidge,
and then let it run for a new era built on an audience - and its characters -
knowing how a slasher trope works. But now we’re in a new era that goes beyond
self-referencing slashers, like the previously mentioned Craven efforts. We’re
in the meta-meta-slasher era.
Although dissecting how the meta-meta-slasher works would
reveal some surprises and spoilers for newer films, such as Bodies Bodies
Bodies from A24, it's the most apt way to express the experience of The
Only Ones. At its core, this indie horror film flirts with dark comedy and
other horror subgenres as it progresses, but it owes its soul to the slasher
genre through and through. For fans of the slice ‘em and dice ‘em horror genre,
The Only Ones ought to carry enough kills and spins to earn a viewing,
but it does require some insight into the genre to be fully effective.