Slanted

Through Wang's astute direction, some moving performances, and well-rounded vision, it is just as provocative as it needs to be, while making for a very entertaining watch.

Infused with a sharp exploration of the immigrant experience in America and a smattering of such high school tropes as mean-girl cliques and prom queen competitions, the movie is a wonderfully bonkers ride.

Wang deals out absurdist humor with a deft hand, especially in scenes where Ethnos and its corporate videos extoll the so-called joys of whiteness.

Slanted has many interesting elements at play, not only in its own story but also in the films it draws inspiration from. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t go far enough in the end.

We’re left with a nightmare of identity that feels slighter than it should, unsure of where to point its knife.

It is no fun for a viewer to scoff at a film that purports to speak to pain that is real for many. But “Slanted” doesn’t actually have any interest in contending with those experiences seriously, instead using its palely observed traumas as a launchpad for a pastiche of other punchier genre films.

Regrettably botched, despite its bold concept at its core, “Slanted” is too simple to make a statement.