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(Brooklyn Horror Film Fest 2026) SLAY: The Cabin's Booked, the Killer's Busy, and the Final Girl's Fabulous

By. Vanessa Maki

SLAY made its East Coast debut at Brooklyn Horror Film Fest on October 17th.


Across the decades we’ve been given a plethora of slashers, but they haven’t all been led by a trans character played by a trans actor. There’s no hiding from the fact that horror is queer, behind the scenes and in front of the camera, and therefore it’s extra special when we get representation in the lead role. SLAY, directed by Kyra Gardner, is the queer Gen Z slasher that you may be craving right now. Especially as you can feel that there’s a love for horror and slashers as a subgenre in this.

SLAY follows a social media star, Chloe (Zoey) who’s dealing with grief over her best friend being killed. When her, her boyfriend, and their friends go to a fancy cabin in the woods, they’re stalked and attacked by a masked killer. While it’s set up like a classic slasher that involves a cabin, friends, and a masked killer, it’s not obvious who’s attacking this ragtag group of teens. The twists and turns will certainly make you think of other slashers, but everything’s done in the vein of paying homage. And Chloe is a solid protagonist whose trans identity isn’t made an issue by those in her life.

During the start of the film we’re taken through a mini journey of Chloe coming out at a young age, gaining popularity on social media, as well as dealing with a father who refused to accept her. Naturally fame comes with prying eyes, especially for folks who are marginalized. Chloe being a trans girl is only attacked by bigots on the internet, as well as a talk show host named Jenna Woolf (Shawnee Smith), who ends up causing widespread damage to Chloe’s best friend, Harmony (Reise Alexander)’s reputation after a viral interview mishap.

The film isn’t solely about what it’s like being trans in this day and age, but it does touch base on the struggles that trans folks face frequently. From the constant questioning of identity, the transphobic celebrities and influencers using their platforms to attack trans people, and the dismissal that folks experience from those in their everyday life. SLAY handles these issues in a way that’s real, but the film doesn’t make it the entire plot. It’s  an aspect that some folks will appreciate if they want to see more queer horror allow queer characters to be secure and proud of who they are.

 

Paris isn't particularly interested in apologizing for who she is either. In I LOVE PARIS, an aspiring musician becomes a vampire and treats her new bloodthirsty existence as one more complication on the road to stardom. Vanessa Maki caught the wonderfully strange queer mockumentary at Brooklyn Horror Film Fest and found plenty to enjoy in its unapologetically ambitious leading lady.

 

After the vicious and shocking murder of Harmony, Chloe’s mom secures her a cabin for a 2-day vacation with her friends. Everything seems fine, albeit a little drama and tension amongst the group of friends, as they travel to this remote cabin in the woods. The group of friends all fit various archetypes, but they also feel like the type of  Gen Z teens that you’d see out and about. They’re thankfully not egregiously annoying or pushing purity culture.

In many slashers we often get a bunch of disposable characters, who are barely or not fleshed out, and we don’t care when they die because we don’t connect to them. Gardner and Jimmi Simpson’s script flips that common expectation on its head by making Chloe’s friends into more than just her friends who are being targeted and potentially dispatched. SLAY might not be the first slasher to do that, but it actually makes the effort to do so when it doesn't need to.

The performances in SLAY range from campy, comedic, and intense depending on the scene or character. Zoey Luna’s performance is engaging, not to mention she brings a specific final girl energy.  She’s not the type of final girl who is incredibly resourceful right away. Instead, Chloe radiates Sidney (Neve Campbell)’s characterization from the first SCREAM (1996), where her actions are very much based in flight, rather than fighting or knowing how to handle a situation of this magnitude like Erin (Sharni Vinson) from YOU’RE NEXT does. In modern slashers it’s good to occasionally have final girls with horror knowledge, who also happen to be ill-prepared for a real-life nightmare.

As far as the rest of the cast, they all bring their own flavors to the pot. You’ll find yourself endeared by the other characters, who would normally be deeply unlikely like Zoey’s boyfriend (played by Beck Nolan) or their drug-loving friend (played by Ruby McCollister). Despite how this is a slasher and there needs to be at least a few deaths, you really do root for this friend group to make it to the very end. And that’s certainly a testament to Gardner’s directing, the actors, as well as the screenplay.

It’s not a secret that SLAY was heavily inspired by SCREAM, but it also forms its own identity and doesn’t become a poor imitation that falls flat on its face. Whether intended or otherwise, there are hints of other slashers from various decades. If you consider yourself a fan of the subgenre then you’ll certainly see that within how the film plays out. And it’s best not to make too many assumptions regarding the killer reveal. It might very well surprise you in the end.

The film  has everything it needs to keep young and older horror fans engaged, the love for horror comes through, the representation is effortless and not tacked on for the sake of brownie points, and the cast consists of a diverse group of folks. Slashers being representative of the world we live in are a breath of fresh air, more importantly when they’re executed properly. 

SLAY may have minor flaws like nearly any horror film does, though none of those disrupt or take away from how much of a blast this film is. It’s very queer, very campy, occasionally comedic, has solid kills, and it’s absolutely worth watching. Seeing more of these folks in horror projects would be a pleasure. And Gardner certainly gets a thumbs up as far as wanting to see her direct another horror film.
 

If your favorite part of a slasher is waiting to see what the effects team has cooked up, Jordan Downey's THE CYCLE has a particularly nasty surprise in store. Vanessa Maki's Brooklyn Horror Film Fest review digs into the mystery surrounding Deborah Ann Woll's character before celebrating the gloriously grotesque creature that makes the wait worthwhile.