A lot of modern directors are cultivating a formula of taking classic eighties and nineties movies and giving them a clever horror twist. While many have likened “Totally Killer” to “The Final Girls,” I’m more prone to consider “Totally Killer” a horror twist on “Back to the Future.” It’s very much a nod to Robert Zemeckis’ film right down to the similar finale. The way director Nahnatchka Khan stages her horror comedy is so much in the vein of the classic film, but that thankfully doesn’t hinder the experience.
Thirty-five years after the shocking murders of three teens, an infamous killer returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. When seventeen year old Jamie comes face-to-face with the masked maniac, she accidentally time travels back to 1987. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar culture, Jamie teams up with her teenage mother Pam to take down the psycho once and for all.
Behind the gimmicky concept, “Totally Killer” is a fun, engaging, and heartfelt horror comedy that also doubles as an interesting whodunit. The “Sweet Sixteen” killer is such an intriguing horror villain, and one that I hope we’re able to see more of, down the line. “Totally Killer” could have easily fallen under the weight of the nostalgia, and tongue in cheek humor, but thankfully the screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo builds an interesting and complex narrative centered on a protagonist we root for through the very end. I really did enjoy how the screenplay manages to build on this vindictive, horrible serial killer that delights in slaughtering their victims.
All the while the narrative entrenches the audience in universal themes about the severe consequences of bullying, and peer pressure. Kiernan Shipka thankfully doesn’t try too hard to garner laughs, portraying character Jamie as someone who is absolutely taken aback once she lands in 1987. Her befuddlement at the cultural norms of the decade amounts to some surprising belly laughs, as well as some great social commentary that only punctuates the massive time jump. Shipka is so very good in the lead role, and she’s complimented by a great cast that includes Julie Bowen, Lochlyn Munro, Kimberly Huie, and Olivia Holt, respectively.
Holt is especially memorable in the crucial role of Jamie’s mom; the writing delights in hilariously subverting our expectations on how the future mom and her future daughter would interact socially. “Totally Killer” is such a breezy, fun, and eerie horror comedy that can be appreciated on the level of a coming of age comedy, a time travel fantasy, or just a good old fashioned slasher film.
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