Maybe it is the 80s lingo on the brain, but Totally Killer is rad!
When it seems the knife has lost its shine, here comes a movie proving the horror sub-genre is far from dead but alive and killing. A time-travel slasher, yes, please! If Back To The Future and Scream had a child, the offspring would be Totally Killer. This movie is a welcome creative departure from the usual slasher fare, and it carves out a brilliant whodunit mystery peppered with genuine 80s nostalgia, a spunky final girl, and a knife-wielding masking-wearing maniac. As Doc Brown might say, Great Scott, what a rush!
The movie starts on Halloween night, some thirty-five years after the mysterious Sweet-Sixteen Killer struck and killed three teenagers in the small suburban town of Vernon. Audiences meet the sole survivor, Pam (played by Julie Bowen), who is attacked and killed by the Sweet Sixteen Killer while alone on Halloween 2023. Grief-stricken and determined to stop her mom’s killer from ever killing in the first place, Kieran Shipka, who plays Jamie (nice hat tip to the OG “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis), seeks help from her best friend, who just so happens to have built a time machine, which after a run-in with the killer sends her back to the year of the killings in 1987.
In the past, Jamie is determined to find her mom and stop the killer once and for all. Once back in time, Jamie finds herself trying to befriend her future mom while keeping an eye out for the killer and hopefully uncovering his identity before he strikes.
The movie never overindulges in the time travel jargon and streamlines the gimmick, instead focusing on the whodunit and all the blood and thrills. Killer blends comedy and horror well and never takes itself too seriously to explain the invention of time travel. Some exposition comes from Jamie’s best friend, Amelia (played by Kelcey Mawema)) and later, her mother Lauren (played by Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson), who we learn when Jamie goes back in the past, builds her time machine to help Jamie return to 2023.
The characters in the movie poke fun at the concept and how convoluted the mechanics of time travel tend to be in movies; Jamie’s final line at the end is sure to give audiences a chuckle. There is no time spent on drawn-out explanations. A passing knowledge of Back to the Future is enough for this trip. Most importantly, time travel serves the story and takes the audience for a hilarious and scary ride back to the 80s.
Unlike many recent revisits to the era, this movie brings modern sensibilities. Jamie provides a unique conduit for audiences while offering a friendly but pointed critique of the period for all its flash and flaws. Nostalgia overload is in the air, and as shows like Strangers Things prepare to wind down, it is refreshing to have a less saturated look at the 80s through the prism of 2023. Jamie’s one-off and social commentary offer some double entendres audiences will surely appreciate.
This nostalgic trip never stays too long in the past and finds a way to create an edgy slasher that is both a homage to the greats (think Halloween & Prom Night) and yet inventive and accessible for modern audiences. The movie never feels like a parody of the decade. The characters are fleshed out (no pun intended), and the dialogue is always smooth. There is a John Hughes-esque quality, which meshes well with the horror vibes.
Still, the movie always retains its sight; this is a slasher, and the masked killer stalking the grounds recalls such iconic boogeymen as Michael Myers and lesser-knowns, like The Miner from My Bloody Valentine. Expect to see the Sweet-Sixteen masks on the shelves at Spirit Stores for Halloween 2024.
Shipka carries the movie, and her performance is both endearing and hilarious. She delivers the quips as much as the kicks, proving herself to be a practical quasi-final girl. The emotional beats, though, are from the story about a future mother working with her unknown daughter from the future. Pam and Jamie. Oliva Holt plays the Young Pam, and she fits seamlessly into the big-haired and shoulder-pad craze of the era while giving subtle hints of the mother she would become later in life. Holt and Shipka are in synch with their comedic timing, delivering plenty of laughs even as the Sweet Sixteen Killer is slicing and dicing.
Blumhouse, with hits like Happy Death Day, David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy, and this year’s M3gan, continue to have their finger on the horror genre’s pulse. Slashers especially are in their wheelhouse, and this one is yet another jewel in their horror crown.
Totally Killer has all the right feels of an 80s teen-comedy, with the added intrigue of a bonafide slasher. Clever twists. Gore. Creepy stalking. It is all there and feels fresh and wholly original. The movie ties up all the loose threads by the final reel, but like any good slasher, the killer cannot stay dead for long. The time travel concept is a unique addition to the slasher lore. Even if it remains a one-off, expect to see this revisited as an annual Halloween tale, and who knows, there might even be potential for a continuation a la Back to The Future Part II.
Despite the oversaturation of 80s nostalgia, audiences love a good throwback, and with the slasher genre having a moment—combining both makes for a totally killer Halloween movie.
Totally Killer will premiere globally on October 6, 2023 exclusively on Prime Video.
Blumhouse continues its horror reign with "Totally Killer," showcasing their mastery in the slasher genre. Drawing from hits like "Happy Death Day" and "Halloween," this film is a new jewel in their horror crown. Channeling the spirit of 80s teen-comedies, it seamlessly blends nostalgia with a bone-chilling slasher experience, offering clever twists, gore, and a sense of freshness.
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GVN Rating 9
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Writing & podcasting. Movies are more than entertainment; movies are a way of life.
Favorite Genres include: horror, thrillers, drama. Three Favorite Films: The Dark Knight, Halloween & Jaws.