At this point in cinematic history, it is baffling that a horror movie has failed to properly take advantage of the Back to the Future formula, sending its protagonist(s) back in time to stop some terrible future event. But that failure heretofore no longer matters thanks to the existence of Totally Killer, from Blumhouse and director Nahnatchka Khan, a deft combination of that now-classic sci-fi concept and some of the best components of campy ’80s slasher movies. Though the execution of its premise and witty writing are the movie’s strong points, its shortcomings are mostly forgivable due to the sheer enjoyment Totally Killer presents, especially during a year full of disappointing genre offerings.
In the Prime Video exclusive film, Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) plays Jamie, a teenager encapsulating the stereotypical rebellious nature of somebody her age, with the additive influence of Gen Z sensibilities that make her almost comically aware of her autonomy. While Jamie prepares for a concert on Halloween night, her mother, Pam (Olivia Holt), advises her daughter to stay safe, an ironic message given her fate later that evening. Pam dies at the hands of the resurfaced Sweet 16 Killer, a masked murderer who killed three of her high school friends 35 years before the movie’s timeline. When the killer attacks Jamie later that night inside her best friend’s time machine, she gets inadvertently transported back to 1987, where she must find a way back to her present while trying to stop the Sweet 16 Killer in the past.
Sure, the plot ostensibly – and almost aggressively – draws on Back to the Future and retro slashers. However, Totally Killer quickly establishes a unique identity through its self-awareness and careful tip-toeing of the two eras that make up its wacky world. It directly references the Michael J. Fox-led sci-fi hit and revolutionary slashers like Halloween and Scream, proving to the audience that it is not just a lazy mashup of other peoples’ ideas but a clever love letter to iconic cinema that audiences know and love.
While stuck navigating a much different era, Jamie’s vastly superior pop culture knowledge aids her efforts while reminding viewers of her temporal displacement—coupled with her practically alien attitude. The moments of culture and psychological clashing (e.g., when a teenage bouncer pushes Jamie away to keep her from entering a party while Jamie screams about “unwanted touch”) are a step away from cringy but manage to be ironically funny most of the time, all the while offering a commentary on the stark shifts that 35 years of history makes in generations of people. But even among the cruder personalities in 1987, Jamie grows and becomes a likable protagonist, and there are charming and intriguing characters to follow.
The horror comedy components comprising Totally Killer work partly due to the dissimilarities between characters and their respective sociological principles, plus the focus on classic slasher elements with a whodunit spin. The Sweet 16 Killer stalks and creeps without uttering a word, viciously stabbing his victims 16 times, and occasionally brawls with the central cast, and those scenes are pretty compelling. And though the special effects are bog standard for a slasher movie, they work well enough, given the killer’s MO. There is also probably enough gore to satisfy genre fans without venturing into the extreme, à la Terrifier or Saw, or expelling the teen comedy aspect of the film altogether.
Otherwise, Totally Killer looks, feels, and sounds professional but is nothing extravagant or elegant. That said, harnessing the frenetic energy of Happy Death Day and The Final Girls—beloved slasher comedies that also conceptualize the altering of time—the new Blumhouse production is still an exciting and entertaining project. Khan’s sitcom experience and the writing trio’s previous work on similar shows catalyze many of the fun elements here despite the average-at-best production design and sci-fi effects straight out of the ’80s themselves. Sticklers may wish to avoid Totally Killer, but those seeking an engaging and self-aware horror comedy with genuinely humorous and nostalgic beats will find plenty to like.
Totally Killer is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Sounds like this is worth a go. I was thinking of Happy Death Day the whole time I was reading this, so glad it was brought up.
Hmm, I was not sure about this. I might try it.
It was so funny. Really captures that 80’s slasher vibe in the best way
I graduated in 1987. I was murdered back then too. This movie really speaks to me.