Slumber Party Massacre Trailer: The Horror Classic Gets A Meta Reboot

Syfy has released the first brief teaser trailer for its "Slumber Party Massacre" reboot. The movie recently screened at this year's Fantastic Fest and has, thus far, received quite the positive response. I was fortunate enough to see it for myself and can confirm this is a step above what we might expect from a Syfy original movie. As a man who has watched too many to count (what up, "Frankenfish"), this served as a big surprise.

As we can see, the teaser is brief but gives a sense of how director Danishka Esterhazy ("The Banana Splits Movie") updated this '80s slasher classic for modern times. It's all here: girls having a pajama-clad slumber party, creepy dudes, a gigantic drill being used as a murder weapon, and yes, lots of blood. But the network is doing an admirable job of keeping this movie's surprises hidden. And for those interested in checking out the slasher delights in store, it's best to keep it that way. Go in relatively blind and just let it happen to you.

Here is the synopsis for "Slumber Party Massacre:"

A new contemporary twist-filled reimagining of the 1982 slasher cult classic just in time for Halloween. A slumber party turns into a bloodbath, as a psychotic serial killer wielding a power drill disrupts the fun.

Hailing from the legendary producer Roger Cormand and director Amy Holden Jones, a pioneer in the horror genre in her own right, "Slumber Party Massacre" was released in 1982. Written by Rita Mae Brown, it was a rare horror flick to be headed up by female filmmakers. It also ended up being quite successful, paving the way for two sequels: 1987's "Slumber Party Massacre II" and 1990's "Slumber Party Massacre III."

Yet, as is often the case with horror, nothing stays dead forever. Syfy teamed with Shout! Studios to bring this franchise back from the dead, with a fresh, meta take for modern audiences. I suspect this one will generate quite a bit of discussion amongst genre fans in the weeks to come. And, if the reception from the general public is as good as it was coming out of Fantastic Fest, I equally suspect we haven't seen the last of this franchise.

Suzanne Keilly ("Ash vs. Evil Dead") penned the screenplay, with Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Mila Rayne, Alex McGregor, Reze-Tiana Wessels, and Michael Lawrence Potter making up the core ensemble.

"Slumber Party Massacre" premieres on Syfy on October 16, 2021.