Slasher 2: Guilty Party
Slasher 2: Guilty Party
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Slasher is a horror anthology with a different overarching mystery each season, with Slasher 2: Guilty Party as its second season. It's made to look like a horror movie, and the violence pushes cable TV limits: characters are cut in half with a chainsaw; staked to the ground and stabbed through the neck, screaming; bludgeoned to death as they beg, terrified, for their lives. There is spurting and pooling blood, chunks of tissue, a mysterious hooded predator, a murder and cover-up carried out by teens (and later, adults). A woman self-harms with a razor; we see a row of cuts on her leg. Characters have complex motivations, and everyone's a murder suspect and could turn on the others at any time. Language includes many uses of "f--k," including insults: "Shut the f--k up." Women are also called "bitch." Teens guzzle booze from a bottle and make a terrible violent mistake after drinking. One character smokes cigarettes. A couple strips down to underwear while making out in bed; later the woman mentions having an orgasm.
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
In horror series SLASHER 2: GUILTY PARTY, on a beautiful summer night, a group of teen camp counselors did something terrible -- and they hoped that if they buried the evidence and never talked about it again, maybe it would be like it never happened at all. But years later, when a planned mountain resort threatens to uncover what they did, the old friends are forced to gather at a mysterious mountain house to come up with a new plan. Unfortunately, someone else has plans for them -- and as the body count mounts, it's clear that no one's safe.
Is It Any Good?
Chilling, graphically violent, and quite scary, this horror series takes a familiar setup -- a group of friends with a guilty secret -- and makes it fresh with brisk plotting and deft characterizations. One unusual element is how seriously Slasher 2's characters have been impacted by the horrific secret they tried to bury. "This secret has ruined every relationship I've had in my life," says the tortured Andi (Paula Brancati), while her sometimes-boyfriend Pete (Lovell Adams-Gray) agrees that he's "haunted." Making villains into relatable, guilt-ridden, realistic people gives the scary goings-on extra weight in a way that's refreshing.
Equally innovative: setting the action at a strange "intentional community," where the members have secrets and hidden motivations. Exactly why have they isolated themselves from society, why one member is strangely "triggered" by a group of visitors, what the purpose of their group is, all will be made clear. And since the show isn't called Friendly Kittens and Happy Grandmas, it's a safe bet that whatever they have planned, there's probably a lot of blood at the end of it. This is compelling viewing for horror-mad teens and adults -- just watch out for that ultra-violence with younger watchers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why horror is a popular genre. Why is watching scary material enjoyable? When does it go too far? Do you think Slasher 2: Guilty Party is scary?
How does the show's presence on cable allow it to push the envelope when it comes to violence and language? What would the show look like if it were to air on network television? How would it have to change?
What's an anthology series? What other examples can you think of? Why would a series want to change plots or characters regularly? What's the advantage?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 10, 2017
- Cast: Paula Brancati, Leslie Hope, Ty Olsson, Joanne Vannicola
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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American Horror Story
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Scream Queens
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Black Mirror
British sci-fi series is violent and thought-provoking.
For kids who love scary stuff
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