I really tend to like horror comedies that take comedy films from the past and put their own twists on them. Happy Death Day was a clever movie based on Groundhog Day. 2020 gave us Freaky which is a spin on Freaky Friday. Now we have Totally Killer. A new movie from Blumhouse that definitely gives off Back to the Future vibes as well as much more.
The Story
35 years ago, a serial killer murdered three teenage girls, and now the killer has returned. 17-year-old Jamie comes face to face with the killer and gets transported back to 1987. Together, Jamie and her teenage mother team up to stop the killer once and for all.
This is a super fun concept for sure. Time travel is not a new concept whatsoever, but the filmmakers know what movie they want to make and they succeed for the most part. When Jamie goes back in time, we get a lot of clever and funny writing about how truly different things were back then.
The mystery is fun as well. The movie has plenty of characters to make us wonder who could be responsible for these killings. The gore was also surprising as this movie goes from pretty comedic to downright graphic at times. The mix does flow well with some added suspense in between.
The Acting
The cast is great. My only real complaint is I wish certain characters were a little more fleshed out. There are plenty of interesting characters, but some could have had a little more to do. That being said our leads are very good.
Kiernan Shipka is a serviceable lead. She is strong and driven to find out who is doing the killings. Olivia Holt who was recently seen in Cruel Summer is excellent as the teenage version of Jamie’s mom. She has the 80’s mean girl down pat but is still very likable. Speaking of the 80s, this movie drips with 80s nostalgia from the clothing to the slang and politically incorrectness.
Overview
Totally Killer is not a movie that reinvents the horror genre but it is one that adds to it. This is the perfect movie to watch on a Friday night in October for spooky season. The performances are good, the gore is strong and the mystery is fun. There are good set pieces and the soundtrack is awesome. Totally Killer won’t go down as a classic but it definitely is a fun, smart, endearing horror comedy and that is more than enough.
Totally Killer is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
