This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, SLOTHERHOUSE being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Sorority-set slashers have their own place in horror sub-genres. Their cult status is often based not on the horror, but on memorable characters and classic one-liners. The House on Sorority Row and its remake were not huge blockbuster hits, but remain in fans’ hearts for several years for these very reasons. The original had some subtext involved with the history of the sister house that was bold for its time while the remake had some humorous moments (grabbing a flare gun as protection?). Here in SLOTHERHOUSE, we have a slick gimmick to hell differentiate it from others, but that doesn’t save the movie from flat characters.

We open with what we are to assume will be a sloth becoming a meal from a predator in their natural habitat. However, expectations are defied as the adorable-looking sloth turns the tables and lives. She is tranquilized right after by a poacher who sells wild animals. Through various circumstances, sorority sister Emily (Lisa Ambalavanar) acquires the sloth, names her Alpha, and makes her the house mascot. Her quest for popularity succeeds as Alpha’s cuteness propels her to insta-famous. Things take a turn as Alpha starts slaughtering the sisters in mostly humorous ways.

SLOTHERHOUSE does not pretend to take itself seriously and that is definitely a positive. The silly plot is toyed with as Alpha is without a doubt the scene stealer. Obviously a puppet, her cuteness is always welcomed, but also makes her a great unsuspecting killer. While she is the villain, she’s also our hero as her attacks are the results of PTSD stemming from animal cruelty and her need to go home.

Animal lovers will love this aspect, especially since the humans are so despicable. All our girls are stock creations from previous movies without any reason to root for them. There’s a lot of cringe dialogue that sounds like attempts to create viral memes, but it’s just too transparent. We’ve seen these girls before and it wouldn’t be much of an issue if they weren’t the primary characters here.

One thing that can’t be denied is the production value. This probably had a low production cost, but that dollar was utilized impressively. There’s barely any CGI, which elevates SLOTHERHOUSE from the Sharknados of the world. It’s campy, but the crew clearly wanted to show some production value. Alpha is treated with love on screen and we root for her to go home. The practical effects also help gain the movie several points as a story like this could have easily been treated with the cheesiness and carelessness that many of these types of films have.

This reminds me a lot of the movies I’d see on the VHS shelves back in the day when creature features were rampant. I’m thinking of the Critters and Gremlins of the world, but not as iconic. SLOTHERHOUSE could have the potential for a cult franchise if done right, but right now we have this vanilla sorority house comedy. It’s not very funny or memorable, but SLOTHERHOUSE does give us an adorable killer that steals the show.

SLOTHERHOUSE is now available on VOD.

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Jovy Skol

Jovy grew up loving all kinds of horror movies which is ironic because his parents hated them. CANDYMAN still scares the shit out of him and it doesn’t help that he lives in the Chicago suburbs. He loves venturing into lesser-known exploitation films of the 70s and being introduced to new movies. Along with movies, Jovy loves horror video-games and books, including comics. Some of his favorite franchises include SILENT HILL, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and the RESIDENT EVIL games.

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