The Slayer is an eerie, slow-burning, dream-oriented slasher that focuses on gradually building up a sense of dread between a few varied, bloody kills. The isolated setting, the creeping soundtrack, and the above-standard acting for a lower budget horror film all come together to form an eerie, mysterious, and atmospheric feature that's worth a watch for genre fans.
While I generally enjoyed the slower nature of the film for the most part, which often serves to enhance the foreboding anticipation before moments of bloodshed, I do think the pacing could have been tightened. Just a few minutes shaved off here and there would have enhanced the overall experience, and the drawn-out third act definitely causes The Slayer to lose a fair bit of steam before the end credits arrive... but this still doesn't take TOO much away from what's otherwise a fairly solid horror movie.
Overall, this is a decent surreal "slasher". While it may not be a thrill-ride from start to finish, it takes itself seriously enough to provide a genuinely creepy and adequately executed ninety minutes of 1980's horror goodness. It's just a shame it wasn't trimmed down to perhaps eighty minutes instead, but The Slayer is still good enough for me to have watched it more than once.
While I generally enjoyed the slower nature of the film for the most part, which often serves to enhance the foreboding anticipation before moments of bloodshed, I do think the pacing could have been tightened. Just a few minutes shaved off here and there would have enhanced the overall experience, and the drawn-out third act definitely causes The Slayer to lose a fair bit of steam before the end credits arrive... but this still doesn't take TOO much away from what's otherwise a fairly solid horror movie.
Overall, this is a decent surreal "slasher". While it may not be a thrill-ride from start to finish, it takes itself seriously enough to provide a genuinely creepy and adequately executed ninety minutes of 1980's horror goodness. It's just a shame it wasn't trimmed down to perhaps eighty minutes instead, but The Slayer is still good enough for me to have watched it more than once.