Slasher films were very popular in the 1980s. Michael Myers from Halloween and Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series were big hits. Many other similar movies came out during this time, making it seem like a new slasher was released every other week.
Because there were so many of them, these films were filled with familiar patterns that were easy to predict. Some viewers found this fun, while others thought it made the movies boring. The movie Scream did a great job of making fun of these patterns.
What Is ‘Slasher’ About?
Slasher has a story you have heard many times before. A group of young friends decides to go on a road trip. Among them is the usual cast of characters. From the start, we see the sad character Ursula (Fabiola Muñoz), who we know will be the final girl.
She is upset with her jealous boyfriend, Lucas (Mario Gallardo). Their friends are Mario (Rafa Blanes) and party girls Shayla (Cristina Bravo) and Lore (Anna Hastings). The film shows their personalities: Shayla is glued to her phone, and Lore is the typical flirty girl, so annoying that Mario cannot stand her.
As these friends travel, they talk about the Red Demon, saying to hunt near the home they are going to. Many people who have visited the area have disappeared. Some friends take this seriously, while others think it is a joke. As viewers, we know the Red Demon is real because of a gripping opening scene.
In this scene, we see a man wearing a wooden mask. He is dressed in red and dragging a bag with a still-living man inside. When he reaches his basement, the silent killer gives a knife to his young son, Julio, telling him to finish the job. Julio looks at his father in awe, wanting to be just like him. This killer has a family that knows about his dark hobby, and they support him.
Ten years later, the killer’s father is gone, but for shy and awkward teenage Julio (Sergio Alguacil), it is his birthday, and the family tradition has been passed down to him. He receives his own mask and is sent out to kill. He finds his targets in Ursula and her friends at the remote house, but will he be able to follow through?
‘Slasher’ Can’t Decide What Kind of Movie It Wants To Be
Before Julio wears the mask, his mother tells him the rules of being a killer. It is a wink to slasher fans when she says he will become more silent, slower, stronger, and emotionless with each kill, like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees.
This makes us think it will be a clever love letter to horror films, like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon or The Cabin in the Woods. However, this does not happen.
As soon as Julio wears the mask and steps into the night, Slasher changes and becomes a basic slasher movie. The second half is boring, as we watch the characters get high in the house. This is not just a common stereotype in these films but a significant flaw.
The main characters are uninteresting, and being stuck with them makes us want them to die. Even Ursula, the final girl, is not very interesting. We are supposed to feel sorry for her because of her mean boyfriend, but she has little character growth.
At this point, Slasher struggles with its tone. What began as a serious, partly clever film turns into a silly comedy with the characters getting high. Scenes with Mario and Lore being so stoned that they can barely function are meant to be funny, but they do not work. This goes on for so long that Julio disappears, and the movie no longer feels like it is about him.
Julio Falls Short of Being a New Slasher Icon
Even though Slasher has many flaws, some elements grab your attention. Besides the opening scene, Julio is the most complex character. It is probably not a good thing that the villain is more likable than the main characters, but since it is his movie, that is okay.
This means we see an amateur killer learning rather than the usual strong killer in a mask who easily slaughters everyone. While Slasher does not have many creative kills, Julio’s first attempt leads to a unique death scene that fits the victim well.
Slasher needed more inventiveness and exploration of who Julio is. Instead, everything feels shallow. Suddenly, Julio decides he cannot kill anymore, only to quickly go back to doing it. Seeing more of his inner struggle would have added depth and made Slasher more than the common patterns it follows.
Still from Slasher (Credit: Archstone)
The film falls short with Julio’s father, who was the focus of the first scene but then disappears without explanation. A horror film that explains too much is not good, but Slasher does the opposite.
It does not explain enough, leaving viewers uninterested. We want to know: Who is Julio’s father? Where does his power come from? Why does he wear a wooden mask? Without answers, it is hard to care.
Slasher leads to an anticlimactic showdown between Julio and Ursula, but stick around for the after-credits scene. Here, we get a twist and perhaps an unspoken reason for why Slasher struggles.
Is this film a setup for a sequel and a franchise? That could work, but to get viewers excited for future films, the first film must be engaging. Slasher has its moments, but Julio is not going to be the next iconic masked killer.
Industry Season 3 ended on Sunday night with many twists and turns, some more surprising than others. The finale could have been a good ending for the series if it had not been renewed for a fourth season.
However, it leaves many questions unanswered and offers new chances for Harper (Myha’la), Yasmin (Marisa Abela), and Robert (Harry Lawtey) to show in the now-confirmed Season 4. Pierpoint is changing; it is merging with Al-Mi’raj Holdings, which means Eric (Ken Leung) and Rishi (Sagar Radia) no longer have jobs.
Harper is unhappy working with Petra (Sarah Goldberg) at LeviathanAlpha. She misses the fast-paced work style that came with her former client Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass), who has just been released from prison. Yasmin and Robert’s romance ends sadly.
Yasmin gets engaged to Henry Muck (Kit Harington), and Robert leaves for California to pitch his new company, Little Labs. Season 3 concludes with new beginnings for Harper, Yasmin, and Robert, while Rishi and Eric’s futures remain uncertain.
Harper Isn’t Satisfied at LeviathanAlpha
When Otto Mostyn (Roger Barclay) sends a car to take Harper to meet him in the country, she fears she might be in trouble. However, Otto does not mind some insider trading if it makes him money. He even calls Petra a tattletale and tells Harper he wants her to be his “spiritual successor.”
Harper thinks the idea looks good, but she turns him down. Later, Otto meets with Harper and Petra at LeviathanAlpha’s office. They tell him they will stop their Pierpoint project, losing a lot of money. Otto is disappointed with them, especially with Harper. However, Harper and Petra agree to work together and avoid making unilateral decisions in the future.
In the last twenty minutes of the episode, there is a time jump of a few months, but it is unclear how much time has passed. Harper is back at the LeviathanAlpha office, with Sweetpea (Miriam Petche) and Anraj (Irfan Shamji) now part of the team.
But things feel too calm, and Harper is not happy with jelly donuts and weekly team meetings. Harper is never one to settle for boredom. When she sees the news that Jesse Bloom is out of prison, she is eager to leave. She meets with Otto, who has been in contact with Jesse.
Still from Industry (Credit: Max)
Harper tells him she wants to start a fund that will focus on struggling businesses, especially those committing fraud or unethical practices. She suggests doing this through “a combination of forensic accounting and corporate espionage,” which impresses Otto. Harper also expresses her desire to run the fund from New York, feeling it is time for her to go home and face her past.
Yasmin Chooses Henry Over Robert
In the Season 3 finale, Yasmin faces a big decision. In the episode before, she has two choices: falsely admit she knew about her father’s crimes and become the public face of the scandal or enter a long legal battle that she knows she cannot afford.
Yasmin receives evidence from her old family friend, Maxim (Nicholas Bishop), showing that Hanani Publishing helped cover up her father’s crimes and paid off his victims.
She uses this information to threaten the new head of Hanani Publishing, but without family, Yasmin needs to connect with another wealthy family because leaving the Hanani name does not have the same power anymore.
With Robert possibly leaving for California, Yasmin is uncertain about her future. During their road trip, she realizes she is not suited for a working-class life. She calls Henry, who invites her and Robert to his house in Somerset for the weekend.
While there, Henry’s uncle Lord Norton (Andrew Havill) talks with Yasmin. She tells him she wants his newspaper to run the story about the pregnant yacht employee she saw with her father back in the Season 3 premiere.
Lord Norton does not answer her directly but explains the value of a “feminine touch” in a family, suggesting she could be a positive influence in Henry’s life. He tells her that he protects his family and uses all his resources to do so, saying, “life’s about the family you choose.” This leaves Yasmin torn between Robert and Henry.
After this talk, Yasmin finds Robert, and they walk around together until they have sex. Yasmin tells Robert she loves him, and he says it back. However, at Lord Norton’s birthday dinner that night, Yasmin’s choice becomes clear.
Though she loves Robert, Yasmin decides to marry Henry for security, needing what Henry’s family can provide. It is a heartbreaking scene, but Robert and Yasmin were never meant to be together, and Robert understands her choice.
After Harper and Yasmin’s fight in Episode 6, it seemed their friendship was over. Harper moved out of their shared apartment the next day, and they had not seen each other since. However, after the time jump and Yasmin’s engagement, she calls Harper to ask why she has not responded to her wedding invitation.
Still from Industry (Credit: Max)
Harper thought it was just a courtesy invite, but Yasmin insists she wants her there. Harper agrees to attend only if Yasmin sits with her and some important guests. This moment is very much in line with their past friendship, reminding viewers of the Season 2 finale. It shows that these two might always be friends and rivals.
Robert Looks for a Fresh Start
Like Yasmin, Robert has had a tough time this season, but his ayahuasca trip in Episode 5 gave him a new perspective. Ready to leave Pierpoint’s negativity behind, Robert becomes interested in the healing properties of psychedelic drugs after his experience, which helped him face and understand his trauma.
He takes Yasmin on a road trip for his job interview with Little Labs, a company focused on psilocybin, which could lead him to Silicon Valley. After visiting Henry in Somerset, Yasmin may have stayed behind, but Robert takes $1 million in pre-seed money from Henry with him.
After the time jump, we see Robert pitching Little Labs, probably in California. One of the men he pitches to is Greg (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), a former VP at Pierpoint’s CPS desk who lost his job back in Season 1.
Robert and Greg, both former Pierpoint employees with troubled pasts, could create an interesting dynamic in Season 4, especially given their history with drugs and alcohol. Despite everything he faced in Season 3, Robert ends the season with hope and truly believes in what he is selling.
Eric and Rishi Lose Their Jobs After the Al-Mi’raj/Pierpoint Merger
After discovering how troubled Rishi’s life is in Episode 4, it continues to spiral once Pierpoint becomes Al-Mi’raj Pierpoint. Harper interviews Rishi for a job at LeviathanAlpha but ends up confronting him about his past bad behavior by hiring Sweetpea and Anraj after he turned his back on both of them.
Now unemployed, Rishi is in serious trouble, and after the time jump, his gambling addiction leads to dire consequences. Living alone in London, Rishi returns to his apartment to find Vinay (Asim Chaudhry) at his kitchen table with his estranged wife, Diana (Emily Barber).
Vinay reveals that Rishi owes him over half a million pounds. As Diana yells at him for exploiting Rishi’s gambling problem, Vinay shoots her in the head. This shocking moment sets up a dangerous future for Rishi.
As for Eric, after dealing with a midlife crisis throughout the season, Pierpoint finally lets him go, even after he helped with the Al-Mi’raj deal. After the time jump, the sign outside Pierpoint’s building officially changes to Al-Mi’raj Pierpoint.
Still from Industry (Credit: Max)
Wilhelmina (Georgina Rich) tells Eric that there is no longer a “business need” for him at Pierpoint and offers him £20 million in severance pay. She also mentions that Bill (Trevor White), whom Eric betrayed in Episode 6, has died.
With a baseball bat in hand, Eric returns to the trading floor one last time and cries, mourning the end of his time at a company he dedicated his life to.
Later, he receives a call from Harper, thanking him for the kind words after she was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. They apologize in their own way, with Harper saying, “I hope they paid you,” and Eric ending the call with simply, “Harp? Take care.”
All three seasons of Industry are now available to watch on Max in the U.S.
