Movie Review: Slotherhouse

Writer Brad Fowler came up with the premise for Slotherhouse when an elderly Florida gentleman asked him, “What is the dumbest idea you can come up with?” He then took that idea to his friend Cady Lanigan and the pair set about writing and producing the movie, which some might think a dumb idea in and of itself. Those detractors may be surprised to learn though that the entire thing works far better than it has any right to and is more well-made throughout than the title would suggest.

The sloth, eventually named Alpha, is taken from his home in the Panamanian jungle by a poacher and winds up in the hands of an exotic animal dealer in the United States. A chance encounter between said dealer and college student Emily (Lisa Ambalavanar) leads to her adopting the creature in a bid to become the president of her sorority. Her plan appears to be working, as all of her sisters adore Alpha, but the seemingly sweet sloth actually has a vendetta and begins knocking off Emily’s classmates.

Slotherhouse knows exactly what kind of movie it is and leans heavily into its own silliness. Director Matthew Goodhue has the cast play it straight, and much of the time the film could pass as an above average, female-led college comedy, complete with flashy title cards and character introductions that list their follower counts. But then the sloth appears, and the cuddly little animal (smartly brought to life via puppetry as opposed to CGI) sends the story into crazier and crazier directions. When you see it quickly teach itself how to use a computer to navigate social media it should be clear exactly how hilariously ludicrous the movie is willing to get. If you aren’t the sort of person who found Cocaine Bear entertaining you probably won’t like this either, but if you are you will thoroughly enjoy Slotherhouse. ★★★★