'The Slumber Party' (2023)

The Slumber Party is a coming-of-age comedy movie. This article will discuss elements of the film.

The movie opens with a group of teens riding an out-of-control hedgehog down the street. As the main character is seen flying through the air, the camera stops midway in a freeze frame. The main character introduces herself as Megan, breaking the fourth wall. As she explains to the viewers how she has lost her left eyebrow, there is another fourth wall break where viewers see the mouse drag the movie from the ending to the beginning, with the time card, “One Day Earlier.”

As hinted by the film’s title, The Slumber Party, the girls go on an adventure. Megan, our protagonist, is afraid of trying new things. The hypnosis is a magical element in the movie that drives the plot forward. All four girls minus Anna Maria’s sister, Penny, lie down in a circle with their eyes closed. The girls wake up the next morning with no memory of what happened last night. This clearly represents someone experiencing amnesia. The girls try to regain their memories of what happened during the slumber party the night before.

The main conflict of The Slumber Party is the disappearance of the birthday girl, Anna Maria. The friends try to find her but are unable to recall when they last saw her. They need to find clues that lead to Anna Maria. The yellow ducks represent a group of friends who always stick together. As the girls find clues to Anna Maria’s whereabouts, they begin to piece together the things they had forgotten about because of the hypnosis.

This is a coming-of-age movie, as hinted at in one scene where Anna Maria is found sleeping on a bench with tampons up her bloody nose. Furthermore, Megan explains to viewers that she is starting a new chapter in her life as a freshman in high school with her friends. The key word, “freshman,” symbolizes all the fun the girls had the day before the hypnosis incident.

It turns out that the hedgehog is the mascot of Hillside High School, West Oak High School’s rival. We come full circle as we return to the scene where Megan and her friends ride the hedgehog down the street from the beginning of the film.

The conclusion of The Slumber Party indicates to the viewers how the girls are willing to accept new changes in their lives. Megan is excited about trying something new and Anna Maria learns to accept Veronica as her new stepsister, a struggle she has throughout the film.

Viewers see a strong representation of women in The Slumber Party. Anna Maria is played by Valentina Herrera, a Latina actress. Paige is played by Emmy Liu-Wang, an Asian actress. Both actresses of color play the main roles. Also, Veronica Rodriguez is the director.

The Slumber Party is an epic adventure that best represents amnesia.