WFG RATING: A-

Tubi present a Blue Ice Pictures production. Written and directed by Jem Garrard. Produced by Tebogo Maila and Adam Friedlander. Cinematography by Trevor Calverley. Edited by David Trevail.

Stars Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Crystal Methyd, Cara Melle, Donia Kash, Neil Sandilands, Daniel Janks, Robyn Scott, Joe Vaz, and Warrick Grier.

It’s a match-up like no other in this hilarious horror-comedy from writer/director Jem Garrard.

Mama Sue Flay, Robin Banks, Bella Da Boys, and Olive Wood are drag performers who travel across from town to town to perform. However, thanks to a mixup in the location, the group ends up at a local biker bar in the middle of the desert. Despite the mixup, the group decides to go along for the ride and perform to the less than enthusiastic crowd. However, that soon becomes the least of their problems on this night. 

One of the bikers entering the bar has become a vampire and soon enough, patrons are being attacked and turning left and right. At first, the drag group attempt to leave. However, the vampires are now surrounding the bar as well. Together with the remaining survivors, these drag queens must channel their inner flamboyant spirits and take on the vampiric horde before they become dinner.

One can think of this film as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert meets From Dusk Till Dawn and in essence, that looks to be true. However, there is much more that goes on here in this very funny horror-comedy from television and music video director Jem Garrard. It’s the battle of the drag queens against vampires and there are shades of hilarity and shades of horror goodness definitely meant to please the vamphounds. 

The drag queen heroes of the film are played by a band of wonderfully known performers who have such excellent names like Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Crystal Methyd, and Cara Melle. We see them pre-makeup in the opening of the film, but for the rest of the film we see them in all their glory, dancing to the hit song “WAP” before going from scared potential meals to heroic vampire hunters. However, what’s great here is that they are not alone in the battle against the undead. 

Donia Kash’s Jax plays the overexcited fan of the group who goes tooth and nail (pun intended) with them to stop the vampires as well as macho biker Travis, played by Daniel Janks; barfly Sheila, played by Robyn Scott; and bar owner Dustin, played by Neil Sandilands. Things go really crazy at the hour-long mark as there are some nice twists in the story that bring a sense of both the predictable and unpredictable with overall fun and chaos. 

Slay is a fun horror-comedy meshing elements from two great classics with a wonderful cast of drag queens and local South African actors. Jem Garrard has a winner here!