‘Slanted’ Review: Extreme Makeover Satire Critiques Lopsided Beauty Standards Through Asian Eyes
variety.comPeter Debruge Chief Film Critic If high school is a popularity contest — the mistaken-priorities assumption that drives writer-director Amy Wang’s SXSW-winning assimilation satire “Slanted” — then Chinese American senior Joan Huang (Shirley Chen) could be justified in ditching her heritage for a shot at being crowned prom queen.
That’s the devil’s bargain Wang entertains in a provocative comedy-cum-thought-experiment that veers hard into “The Substance” territory when Joan agrees to a radical racial overhaul so thorough, Wang substitutes a different actor (Mckenna Grace) as her new persona for the rest of the movie.
Staring tricky identity issues in the face, “Slanted” draws from Wang’s upbringing as it identifies the social pressures that might drive Joan to go the Michael Jackson route.
The pop star is never named, but is by far the most visible example of someone who resculpted himself according to prevailing beauty standards.
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