Before its release, Nahnatchka Khan‘s Totally Killer was accused, albeit in jest, of copying the same story from the beloved teenage horror-comedy The Final Girls. Their plots share a few aspects that raised eyebrows — the destined decade in question, the time travel, and the daughter-mother element — but Kiernan Shipka‘s character doesn’t enter the world of a cheesy ’80s slasher movie. No, the protagonist of Totally Killer is sent back in time to the ’80s to stop a murder. Several of them, in fact. While it might sound like a case of splitting hairs, Totally Killer has more than enough to distinguish itself from The Final Girls. If anything, it has more in common with fellow Blumhouse slasher Happy Death Day.
This movie may not have much in the way of originality — David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver
and Jen D’Angelo‘s script is thankfully self-aware of the inevitable criticisms without being annoying about it — yet Totally Killer makes the most of its A-to-B plot while also coloring a little outside the lines on occasion. Before surly teen Jamie (Shipka) can set foot in the past, though, the movie quickly but cleverly creates its necessary high stakes. The path to Jamie using her best friend’s time machine is a short one, but the breakneck pacing is a godsend for anyone who’s seen enough of these kinds of Back to the Future mimics and mashups. Getting straight to the action is both wise and appreciated.
The present day is punctuated by the most patent manifestation of modern society’s fascination with death: a podcast, of course. Jamie’s town experienced its own true crimes back in 1987 when the Sweet 16 Killer claimed three lives: her mother’s three best friends. And now the only way to stop the murders in the present day is to stop the original spree. Totally Killer understands how silly and trite this story sounds, but the movie leans into it with a sardonic wink to the audience (made even better by Shipka’s constant “WTF” expressions).
Culture clashes are unavoidable when someone from today is dropped back in the past in a movie. Jamie is sure to call out everything from casual homophobia to offensive nicknames like Fat Trish. It’s the classic “acknowledge why a mean joke is mean while still being able to laugh about it” routine. This recurring comedy bit also ties into a fruitful subplot about Jamie and her mother (played by Julie Bowen in the present, and Olivia Holt in the past) that would benefit everyone watching. Your parents weren’t always your parents. The most important takeaway from Jamie’s new knowledge of who her mother used to be is that people, like time, can change.
As for its horror side, Totally Killer is unsurprisingly tame for an experienced viewer. This isn’t that kind of slasher movie, obviously. The villain’s signature move of sixteen stab wounds is typically implied and shown off screen, so don’t go expecting a lot of blood and gore here. There are more F-bombs than actual violence. Even so, the Sweet 16 Killer is an amusing antagonist who doesn’t go down easy without a fight. The movie opts for more group melee scenes than intimate encounters. This removes the chance for tension in Totally Killer, but once again, this isn’t a traditional slasher.
It’s hard not to enjoy a movie like this. It has time travel, a masked killer, a whodunit mystery and snappy one-liners. The horror-comedy formula is diluted and less effective more than some might like, however, Totally Killer is on a mission to satisfy. And that’s something it does well with both energy and style.
Totally Killer premiered at Fantastic Fest 2023, and it’s now streaming on Prime Video.
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