Totally Killer
Totally Killer
Starring Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Troy Johnson
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Back in 1987, three teenage girls were murdered in a small town and the killer - dubbed the Sweet 16 Killer - was never caught. In the present, Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) wants to enjoy Halloween with her friends, but her overbearing mother Pam (Julie Bowen) is hesitant, because her friends were the ones that were murdered. She reluctantly allows her to go to a concert, and that night Pam is killed by the Sweet 16 Killer who has started his killing spree again. Jamie is distraught but she finds out her friend has invented a time machine, and inadvertently travels back to 1987 before the murders began. She befriends the friend group - led by her younger mother Pam (Olivia Holt) - and is shocked to learn that they were the mean girls in the school with a laundry list of people who want them dead.
As she sets out to prevent the murders from happening, in the present Jamie's friend tries to find a way to fix the broken time machine, as does her mother in 1987 who aids Jamie knowing who she is. Yet trying to convince a group of horny teens in the 80s to play it safe is easier said than done, and Jamie has a limited time before she's stuck in 1987 forever - and also attempt to save her mother in the present.
The Good:
"Totally Killer" balances a solid script with the outlandish nature of the 80s and provides a fun thrill ride that has elements of different genres in a near-perfect blend. The story revolves around Jamie who travels to the past to stop a killer before he kills her mother, and imbued into the story is a fantastic blend of 80s innocence (when Jamie goes to high school and pretends to be a student, the school secretary immediately hands her a new schedule, even though she had a whole backstory plotted out; when she tells a ride operator that the ride has to be shut down and is about to go into detail, he just leaves, and she comments how easy things were in the 80s) and modern day topics that show how backward the 80s was (the obvious racism of the school's mascot, the misogyny, fat shaming and such).
The fashion of the 80s is in full effect, which reminded me of the time since I was alive back then and gave me deep nostalgic feels. The soundtrack also is rocking, proving again that the 80s wasn't just the decade for horror but also the decade for music.
Kiernan Shipka is a fantastic choice to play Jamie, as she balances humor and emotion equally. She grieves the loss of her mother but when she's given a chance to save her life, she goes all out in order to protect the group. While it doesn't work out as she had planned, she still leads the group as well as she could by incorporating dry humor and wit that makes her an endearing and entertaining final girl trope. Likewise, the young supporting cast is also fun and lively, pretty much the stereotypical braindead 80s kids who are more concerned with hooking up and getting drunk than stopping a masked killer from killing them all.
The concept of time travel is always a tricky one, and what movie you watch will shape how you view the concept. Here it's interesting because not only do they focus on the past, but shows how the past actions change events in the present. It gives a solid argument for the Mandela Effect as the murders change in the past that change in the present with people knowing that it's different but not understanding why.
The killer dons a pretty frightening mask that's a mix of Michael Myers, Max Headroom and a dash of Billy Idol, which is an interesting mix but it actually works.
The Bad:
Sometimes the story does repeat itself, leading to frustrating moments with the characters that are obviously written that way but doesn't take away from the annoyance. If you took a shot every time Jamie talks about staying safe in one way or another, you'd have blood alcohol poisoning.
The Summary:
By infusing classic 80s tropes with an intriguing "Scream"-esque murder mystery, "Totally Killer" totally lives up to the comedic hype and provides a fun, funny, and frighteningly good time.
The Score: A
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