For my final film of 2023’s Fantastic Fest, retro slasher horror/comedy Totally Killer closes out the festival with a bloody bang! In the vein of camp-tastic slashers The Final Girls, Freaky, and Happy Death Day, this Blumhouse/Amazon Studios production appears destined for yearly Halloween-season viewing. New blood in the genre sometimes reaps the best rewards, and Totally Killer is almost entirely female-led. Scripting duties go to Hocus Pocus 2 scribe Jen D’Angelo, David Matalon, and Sasha Perl-Raver, whilst direction from Always Be My Maybe’s Nahnatchka Khan lovingly embraces 80s fabulousness. D’Angelo is not afraid to nudge the problematic aspects of the time despite leaning into their absurdity. Get ready to be stabbed sixteen times, and travel back to 1987 with this outrageous character-driven slasher.
In the sleepy town of North Vernon (which looks an awful lot like Haddonfield), the Sweet Sixteen Killer has become the stuff of legend. Thirty-five years ago, three teens were slaughtered in the days leading up to Halloween, all found stabbed sixteen times. The killer’s garb—black outfit, a blonde-haired mask with a massive forehead adorned with a single rockstar earring—has become as popular as Ghostface in the Scream franchise. A Sweet Sixteen Killer Podcast Tour attempts to cash in on the tragedy, led by its host, true crime journalist Chris (Jonathan Potts, Jason X, Dream House). Teenage Jamie (Kiernan Shipka, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Swimming with Sharks) couldn’t care less about the holiday—she just wants to go see one of her favorite bands in concert with bestie Amelia (Kelcey Mawema, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Honor Society).
Naturally, tonight will mark the Sweet Sixteen Killer’s triumphant return. First, they come for Jamie’s mother, Pam (Julie Bowen, Happy Gilmore, An American Werewolf in Paris), one of the survivors from the decades-ago murders. Then, they come for Jamie. Their pulse-pounding pursuit through run-down amusement park Billy’s Boardwalk—set up for the school’s science fair—ends as Jamie tries to hide in a photo booth Amelia has been experimenting with as a time machine. In a clever mishap, the killer’s blade pierces the console, sending Jamie careening towards the unknown of 1987. How easy it is to blend right in and become a Canadian transfer student without anyone asking any questions…
Happy Death Day 2U blended time travel and slasher elements to a mixed effect, coming nowhere close to the simple brilliance of that first entry. Totally Killer accomplishes every untouchable feat attempted by its spiritual precursor by tapping into the silliest aspects of the 80s. Apart from leg warmers and cocaine, the rampant bullying, homophobic jokes, and traumatic dodgeball games are a good reminder that no decade is entirely problem-free. Jamie discovers that her mother, young Pam (Olivia Holt, Cruel Summer, Cloak & Dagger), belongs to a gaggle of mean girls dubbed “the Mollys” who design their wardrobe around various Molly Ringwald appearances. If Jamie is to have any chance of returning to her own time, she must find a way to team up with Pam, then take down the Sweet Sixteen Killer before they enact a murderous rampage.
Holt and Shipka have exceptional chemistry as unlikely mother/daughter. The rest of the core cast is just as solid. Julie and the Phantoms breakout Charlie Gillespie portrays a younger version of Jamie’s father, rippling with abs and a doofy persona; young Lauren (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Let’s Scare Julie), the mother of Amelia in present day, immediately believes Jamie about the future and seeks to aide her; ultra jock and stereotypical movie-bully Randy (Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar, Cruel Summer) steals scenes as he burp-chucks people from parties; and then of course, there’s the three girls destined for death who died during this timeline the first go round. Liana Liberato’s Tiffany is perhaps the bitchiest of the doomed trio, refusing to give blowjobs, and being a generally awful person.
Totally Killer is chock full of clever innuendo and 80s references, and gory kills to boot. Action-centric chase sequences are well choreographed and dynamic. By the time the film gets around to its killer reveal, even this approach subverts expectations. Time-travel shenanigans allow for a surprising amount of depth, as Jamie bonds with her mother like never before. The build to a climactic Halloween carnival, and the Back to the Future ticking time bomb of a potential return to the present, keeps the story from sagging. The runaway star is Shipka, reveling in her badass final girl status.
At one point, Lauren describes time as being like a river, with the changes made from time travel trickling down while the water continues to flow. Totally Killer may not change anything significantly when it comes to the slasher mold, yet it has all the makings of an instant classic. Sharp meta dialogue and the strength of the final act only further prove what a powerful offering Blumhouse has on display. Totally Killer is one killer good time, best enjoyed with as many friends as you can pack onto your couch with a fresh bucket of popcorn.
Hop onto the Quantum Drop back to the 80s when Totally Killer premieres globally on October 6th, exclusively to Prime Video.
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