Slanted (2025)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A Chinese-American teenager undergoes an experimental surgery to change her ethnicity and fit in at school.
The story
Chinese-American high schooler Joan Huang struggles to connect with her white peers, leading her to feel ashamed of her appearance. After several failed attempts to gain social standing, she receives an offer from Ethnos, a clinic specializing in ethnic modification surgery. Desperate for acceptance, Joan convinces her mother to sign a consent form for a procedure that will change her appearance. Following the surgery, she adopts the identity of 'Jo Hunt' and begins to experience a different treatment from her peers. However, the physical and emotional consequences of the transformation begin to surface as she navigates her new life and the shifting dynamics of her relationships.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Joan Huang, a Chinese-American student, undergoes an experimental surgery at the Ethnos clinic to appear white, and takes the name Jo Hunt. While she initially gains popularity and the friendship of the popular Olivia Hammond, she begins to feel emotionally distant from her parents. During a party, she is forced to choose between her new social standing and her friendship with her Indian-American friend Brindha. As the prom approaches, Jo's face begins to physically deform. At the prom, her face melts during her coronation as prom queen. She later discovers that Olivia is also of mixed heritage and chose to hide it. Realizing the cost of her choices, Joan reconciles with her parents and eventually confronts the reality of her situation at the clinic. In a final act of reclamation, she tears off the artificial face to reveal her original features, finally finding peace with her identity.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Mandarin
- Directors
- Amy Wang
- Writers
- Amy Wang · writer
- Cast and characters
- Shirley Chen · Joan Huang; Mckenna Grace · Jo Hunt; Kristen Cui · young Joan Huang; Vivian Wu · Sofia Huang; Fang Du · Roger Huang; Maitreyi Ramakrishnan · Brindha; Amelie Zilber · Olivia Hammond; R. Keith Harris · Dr. Willie Singer; Elaine Hendrix · Harmony; Jonathan D. Williams · Hank Hammond
- Genres
- body horror; comedy
- Themes
- identity; assimilation; body image
- Tone and mood
- body horror; comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; plastic surgery; identity crisis
- Content notes
- body horror
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival.; Principal photography took place in Atlanta.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…