Slay Belles (2018) User Reviews

Festive B-movie mayhem

[geeklegionofdoom · 5/10 · 5 December 2018]

I won't go through the plot here, as I'm sure you've read the synopsis . So here's what I liked .

• Our 3 lead female characters have good chemistry , seem like they'd really be friends and were zany and fun to watch
• The Krampus costume, looks pretty good to me. i like the way it's design resembles the classic Krampus look from the old German illustrations , and for a lower budget i thought the effects were pretty good
• I enjoyed the reveal towards the end of the movie which i won't spoil
• The Movie has it's tongue in cheek and has a good sense of fun

But what did not work

• Biggest issue by far is the truly poor cinematography , camera work , editing and the lighting wasn't great either . Often shots are poorly framed , too dark, and edited in a way that makes the Taken sequels look well edited
• Acting by additional cast seemed a very miked bag
• Unnecessary scenes and characters. So many scenes were of the police station, i actually thought they might have something to do with the plot. Nope , just a running gag about the dis organised cops. Plus what was the point of the Richard moll scenes? Just smacks of reshoots to fill out the running time
• A bit light on horror. Not as many kills or gore as i was expecting with a title like that
• The movie lags in the second act. When the girls are holed up in the house. Nothing really seems to happen for about 20-25 mins

Overall fans of B-Movie cinema may enjoy a festive treat , but for the more casual fan , there are better produced modern Christmas horror movies out there

A swing and a miss type of Christmas movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 29 November 2019]

Well I sat down to watch the 2018 movie "Slay Belles" to sort of warm up to the Christmas season that is about to kick off. I thought it might actually be a fun way to lay the ground for all the sugar-coated and candy-sweet Christmas movies that will be coming at us like a tsunami in the coming month.

And when I saw that Barry Bostwick was in it, I must admit that I was actually having some hopes for the movie.

However, turned out that not even someone as iconic as Barry Bostwick to salvage this sinking movie project. Wow, this movie was definitely not my cup of tea at all.

Why? Well first of all, the storyline was just rubbish. I have no idea what writers Jessica Luhrssen and Dan Walker were thinking when they concocted the script for "Slay Belle". Maybe it seemed interesting on paper, but it lost all its luster and appeal in the transition to the screen.

The acting in the movie was atrocious, downright bad. Sure, Barry Bostwick managed to keep his own and stand firm, but he was just dragged down by some questionable and dubious performances from the majority of the cast.

Now, it wasn't all bad mind you. The krampus creature was actually nicely made, and it looks very interesting. I definitely did like what the special effects department had managed to do there. But it just wasn't enough to make up for a total lack of proper storyline and script.

This is by no means a Christmas classic, nor is it a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time.

My rating of "Slay Belles" is a mere three out of ten stars. It really isn't worth the time, effort or money.

Over the fields we go, not laughing all the way.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 12 December 2020]

Slay Belles: it's clever because 'Slay' sounds like 'Sleigh' and 'Belles' sounds like 'Bells'. Unfortunately, that's about as clever as this film gets. It's dumb. It's very dumb. But sadly, it's not dumb fun.

The humour is extremely forced and rarely hits the mark. The cast are enthusiastic enough, but comedy clearly isn't their forté and the script just isn't witty enough despite a potentially amusing premise.

The plot sees Alexi (Kristina Klebe) joining her big-breasted friends, urban explorers Dahlia (Susan Slaughter) and Sadie (Hannah Minx ), on a trip to abandoned theme park Santaland, where they intend to record their latest Adventure Girl web cast. What they don't realise is that they are not alone: the 'Christmas Devil' Krampus is on the prowl for naughty people, making the trespassing girls potential victims. Luckily for them, the real Santa Claus (Barry Bostwick) is also there to help them stay alive.

Director Dan Walker takes a gimmicky approach to his film-making, with novelty graphics and 'stylish' (i.e., annoying) editing, which is bad enough, but add in horrible wobbly camerawork and some really dark night-time scenes, and the result is a film that is not only nowhere near as funny as it could have been, but which is also fairly grating on the nerves. Walker should have compensated with plenty of gore, but barring the death of Sadie's boyfriend Brian (Rich Manley), there's not much splatter to speak of.

The film's pros are as follows: impressive opening credits, one reasonable monster, one gore effect, one passable performance (from Bostwick), two big pairs of boobs (one pair getting a brief airing).

The cons: bad acting, bad camerawork, bad comedy, too many dark scenes, inappropriate use of dubstep music, not enough blood and guts, and no gratuitous shower scene for Sadie.

3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for... well, it's Christmas... I'm feeling generous.

A Fun Holiday Flick

[a_c_thompson · 6 December 2019]

If you're looking for perfection, you're not going to find it here. But if you want a fun, better than expected, b-movie to watch around Christmas time I think this is one to check out. I kinda expected just a super low budget sjinf flick. But I surprised to find a fairly well done movie with only a super brief nude scene. The camera work damn near made me see sick and done if the visual effects were bad, but it is fun.

You'd Better Not Pout

[scythertitus · 2/10 · 6 December 2022]

I suppose the main question is: why?

Usually a low budget holiday romp is fun. With over the top gore and nudity. This film seems to pretend it has that but never really delivers all that much, and it doesn't have any decent writing or acting to make up for this.

There are lots of scenes where something wacky or wild is supposed to be happening, but it's far too clear that nothing really is going on. There are lots of ways to pad out a tiny budget and this film seems to just hope that optimism and people being in on the joke will cover it, and it doesn't.

I wanted to like this, I really did!

We all have friends that are filmmakers

[edwardbundy · 1/10 · 7 December 2018]

But folks! What kind of friend are we not stopping them from embarrassing themselves by releasing say... something like this.

I think there should be a new concept in the industry. "Honest movie commentaries" where good directors sit through films like this and point out every bad choice the makers made. Then i would love to rewatch this, and i truly believe a concept like that would spare us from a lot of "movies" being released.

Bad Pron Wannabe

[katarzynakota · 1/10 · 21 March 2022]

If someone wants to watch a bunch of fat girls attempt to be pretty, or if they have a fat fetish, this is the movie for them. I'd recommend pr0nhub for that tho. This whole "let the fat girls make stuff b/c body image!!" only tells men that finding girls who are actually beautiful to be beautiful is somehow uncool. This trash goes against the body-positivity movement by oversexualizing the overweight. Ew.

I Hate This Movie With A Passion!

[cynet-52332 · 1/10 · 15 November 2023]

OK lets cut to the chase and I will explain why this turd fest of a movie has got 1/10.

Bad acting to start off with where the characters are so wooden it makes wooden coffins look interesting.

Camera, sound and special effects are bottom standards of Z movie grading.

Story not fit for purpose or any logical sense? Seriously a 5 year old could have had a better imagination of writing a better script than this festive turkey.

The 1 star it got was for the main monster effect which the budget must of been spent on because it deft wasn't on getting decent actors.

The dumbest scene was when the old man cowboy took the monster down with his stick to let the girls escape.

I hate this movie with such a passion it makes Christmas Vacation 2 look like a masterpiece. I hate Chrsitmas Vacation 2 with all my strength but Slay Belles is worst so go figure!

This is a bad movie that doesn't have enough redeeming elements to even recommend seeing it one time

[kevin_robbins · 3/10 · 24 December 2021]

Slay Belles (2018) is currently available on Tubi and tells the tale of three cosplay ladies that sneak into Santa's Village for a private photoshoot. They discover the Santa that runs the park is the real Santa and his nemesis Krampus has returned this Christmas. Can the girls and Santa stop Krampus?

This movie is directed by Dan Walker in his directorial debut and stars Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Kristina Klebe (Halloween), Susan Slaughter (Ouija House) and Diane Salinger (Batman Returns).

The soundtrack for this is pretty good as is the opening animation. The writing and plot for this isn't good, the cosplay is just okay and Krampus kind of looked like a werewolf with horns. There is a funny scene where they "decorate" Krampus. There's a few good kill and blood splatter scenes that they try to shoot to be both gory and sexy; but honestly, with how bad this was it probably needed more nudity to distract you from the plot.

Overall this is a bad movie that doesn't have enough redeeming elements to even recommend seeing it one time. I'd score this a 3/10 and recommend skipping it.

A Goofy Good Time

[MrsOrange · 6/10 · 18 November 2019]

We get literally one hundred new cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies each year and I think us horror fans deserve at least a couple annual cheesy Christmas horror movies at least! Sure, this movie isn't "good" but it's totally fun and good-hearted. You could do way worse when celebrating the holiday season.

Oh what fun

[zandurian · 8/10 · 5 December 2020]

If you want a fun Christmas horror/comedy movie this is a great pick. This slay was a smooth ride all the way through. Reminds me of the campy movies of the 80s that a lot of people still enjoy. The acting was spot on and not too over the top. Ive enjoyed a few of these actors in other movies as well. There really wasn't a dull moment. Id put this in my collection of movies to watch again, no regrets in watching this. Thanks for an enjoyable movie experience!

Cheeezy like Cheetos... Pure Cheezy Goodness!

[Devils_Mentor · 7/10 · 2 December 2019]

Cheeezy like Cheetos and who doesn't like Cheetos!

Sure there's a lot of wrong with this flix, but still a 7/10 on the Cheezy Goodness! This is not your typical high school project Z flix, this was a lot of fun!

And I gotta mention the killer makeup for Krampus... Great practicals!

Don't listen to the crybabies! If you're watching this, you know what you're getting yourself into. Don't be one of those pretentious jackholes, who watches a cheezfest then cries about how crappy it was; especially if it's a fun ride like this.

not for the smallest children

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 5 December 2018]

This is a slasher christmas comedy,located nearly totally in santaland somewhere in the usa,probably state of california.a bunch of girls having fun with santa till krampus shows up. its a likeable flick,if you can tolerate some blood.as most girlie movies there are lots of talk,most of the acting are duracell driven,and bares the signature of a low budget product ,but the santa figure were very decently acted .the comedy flicks where well excecuted,the krampus quite frightening, but what i liked the most was the animated intro sequence,that really tuned up my expectations. its a recommendable x-mas movie.

Santa Claus is coming to Town.... With Krampus!

[vaultusa-152-949430 · 10/10 · 7 December 2018]

I personally am not a fan of horror movies, but i enjoyed slay belles. i got a kick out of everytime santa would say "krampus!" and the campy one liners kept the film light hearted enough for someone like me who is a big ol wuss when it comes to horror.

More Jinx Than Minx

[wop-31529 · 6/10 · 13 April 2022]

Going into this you kind of know exactly what the tone will be, and it never bores you but it also never fully wows you.

The storyline itself I found really clever and the acting is solid aside from the characters with smaller roles. The effects and costumes were decent and the town was really neat (assuming that place really exists, hopefully). It was actually comical to see the running theme of almost every female being... blessed. However, most of the spoken jokes don't really make you laugh and you can see a lot of them coming, but there are some chuckles to be had. The zany camera shots can make some parts hard to watch and there are some really out of place musical interjections that just don't work. The twist at the end was outstanding If you are a horror fan, the movie is 100% worth your time.

It was also cool to see Hannah Minx, the original e-girl and one of the first true YouTube stars.

Konnichiwa! *peace sign* Au revoir, Pee-wee!

(I rate movies based on expectations. You can't put Sharknado on the same scale as Jaws.)

Ridiculous, violent holiday romp

[I_Ailurophile · 8/10 · 2 December 2021]

Low budget, over the top, modern, stylized, somewhat frenetic, a little bit forced. Gratuitous nudity, pointedly incongruous score of largely comprised of electronic music (yes, dubstep), wholly overt but admittedly fun costume design. There's a lot going on in 'Slay belles,' and not only is it decidedly ham-fisted, but it's such an intentionally ridiculous slice of low-grade cinema that calling it a B-movie may be a bit generous. With all that said, it's also beyond question that all the inelegance (subjective and objective alike) is by design. This movie has no illusions about being anything it's not, so all that's left as a viewer is to decide whether or how much we enjoy it. For my part, I recognize this is undoubtedly an acquired taste, but I think it's a fair bit of fun.

It's gratifying that Krampus actually looks really great - I'm hardly used to creatures in features like this being even halfway decent, but here we are. Why, garish as the production generally is, everything is executed surprisingly well. From rounding details like hair, makeup, blood, gore, and special effects, to more prevalent technical aspects like direction, set decoration, filming locations, or sound design, there was an unexpected level of care put into this film. There's some definite wit and intelligence in the screenplay - dialogue, scene writing, the connection between Santa and Krampus; even the overall plot takes a turn or two I didn't anticipate. Action scenes look great, and 'Slay belles' delivers a few solid laughs along with the broad entertainment. I don't think there's anything especially remarkable about the acting, but all on hand perform admirably to bring the ridiculousness to life. That does mean a lot of chewing of scenery, and typical horror reactions of screaming, yet every now and again the cast are allowed to demonstrate a measure of their skills, and it's clear that given the opportunity, they'd prove themselves quite capable.

This is hardly going to be for everyone. I've seen other small-time horror movies with far worse production quality, but that doesn't mean this is perfect. More to the point, so much of the bombast is blunt and forthright to an extent that is surely off-putting for a lot of viewers. Whether it's the acting, stylization, music, or something else, there are a lot of elements here that walk a fine line. Still, this is a picture that knows exactly what it wanted to be, and in every way that matters, I think it very well succeeded. Anyone who appreciates silly, violent, independently produced horror comedy is likely to have a good time here. It's no exemplar of the genre, but very suitably enjoyable all the same. One needn't necessarily go out of their way to find 'Slay belles,' but it's a "jolly" good time if you come across it.

SO MUCH FUN!

[KevinlyJester · 10/10 · 27 December 2018]

I went into this film not knowing what to expect. The best I can tell you is that it is a FUN film-watching experience. It's hilarious, it's sexy, and it's creepy. It's an homage to horror movies, holiday movies, and the horror community. It has something for everyone. You got a biker Santa battling Krampus with 3 hot chicks helping him out. What movie is there to say?

Highly enjoyable Christmas-themed horror effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 14 December 2019]

Heading out on an adventure, a group of girls breaking into a supposed abandoned Christmas-themed amusement park find that their actions have inadvertently released the evil Krampus from being locked away and must team up with the real Santa Claus to stop the creature and restore the holidays.

This one proved to be quite an enjoyable effort. Among the more entertaining features is the highly immersive and over-the-top spirit the film has. The introduction here to the girls with their pace-paced lives being lived out online as their wild, reckless and carefree attitude as they run around filming everything gives us a great introduction to them. The scenes of them hanging out at the park doing their usual shenanigans has a lot of fun to it, which is carried out throughout the rest of the film as the goofy sense of off-kilter fun which dominates the film overall. From the concept of Santa masquerading as a swearing, filthy biker to keep an eye on the world to the constant cutbacks to their social media uploads documenting everything and the lack of urgency to the situation, there's plenty of fun to be had with the general setup here. As well, there's plenty of over-the-top fun to be had with the creature attacks. Opting for a purely practical suit-driven creature that looks imposing and impressive, the Krampus scores nicely in the series of attacks and confrontations not only with the girls in the park but also the other children in its rampage. The chasing around the abandoned theme park before meeting Santa, the side encounters on the few family's it comes across and the girls' first attempt at confining the creature before taking it back to the shop where they begin playing with it and decorations of Christmas ornaments for their site offers a great combination of high-energy action, brutality and even goofy comedy in their reactions. There's also the frenzied and fun finale that offers a solid twist with solid and surprising action, giving this one plenty to like about it. There wasn't a whole lot really wrong with this one. The biggest issue is the film's lack of explaining anything as this one favors the fun, fast-paced action rather than going into detail on anything. The release of the Krampus and what happened to it while it was being kept away for decades isn't explained, while the last half's revelation twist about several of the characters just seems thrown together to add a last-second swerve to the action. These could've been explained better had the film decided to do something more in the middle half than trying numerous attempts at convincing the girls of his true identity, causing a drop-off in the action that goes hand-in-hand with the go-nowhere subplot about the overworked police station where nothing is happening. Some of the scenes look awful with the shaking camera or being too dark to see anything, but otherwise, there isn't a whole lot to dislike here.

Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Language, Graphic Violence and Brief Nudity.

HAHAHA Santas in Town

[tyler_young-134 · 8/10 · 12 January 2023]

Why the low rating(4), it's a comedy and it's hilarious with good filming, effects, costumes & funny lines. It's not the best ending but hey they didn't have the time, they spent it with funny bits, plus it's not dragging on with stuff that no one cares about.

What!! Ms. Claus is crazy C_ word who sleeps w/Krampus (so funny)

-The girls are hilarious and not to bad to look at, my type of girls forsure.

Overall it's a quick watch and it will make you laugh, if not you need to loosen up a bit. I'd give it a rating in the 6-8 range depending on your mood and your sense of humour, which most people are lacking these days.

Surprisingly Good

[ambroselittle · 8/10 · 28 December 2020]

I recently watched WW84, and this was better than that.

I mean, I'm sure the budget was small, but the effects weren't terrible. The plot was actually somewhat original. It was campy. It was clearly supposed to be campy, though, so yeah, good stuff. Some of the characters were actually quite good, and the acting was good enough for this kind of movie. I may even watch it again.

Delightfully silly and entertaining

[Luna-Phaedra · 8/10 · 16 January 2021]

I am going to start off by admitting that I expected this to be a cheap, ridiculous film, and further admit that I was wrong. Slay Belles is surprisingly well made compared to my expectations. This film is silly, yes, but in a way that isn't cheap or cringey. It's the kind of silly you can laugh along with. You have a rough-talking Santa and three immature adults who run around abandoned buildings for the sake of Youtube hits, of course it's going to be silly. That said, the film doesn't deviate from realism in how these personalities would encounter such a messed up situation. Personally, I connected with Alexi immediately as someone being taken along for a ride by her high-energy, chaotic yet fun-loving friends. When you have friends like this, it's easy to understand how this crazy Christmas Eve can manage to unfold.

I also like how colourful the sets and costumes are. I can easily see future conventions with fans cosplaying as Dahila, Sadie, and Alexi. I was also surprised at the quality of the Krampus costume. Though I think my favourite aspect of the whole movie is the music. Which is strange, because the music choices are definitely NOT my style at all -a mix of rave for the party girls with Christmas tones and other styles. It's not my scene. That said, the music choices fit perfectly with the tone of the film. I found myself getting drawn the the music continuously throughout the film (great job, Scott Glasgow!)

It honestly shocks me at how much I liked this movie. I feel like it had many individual elements that I DON'T like in a film, yet I ended up loving Slay Belles from start to finish!