What Is the Story About?
Totally Killer follows Jamie whose mother gets murdered by a slasher killer named Sweet 16 Killer on Halloween. She realises her mother was one of the killer’s earlier targets when her parents were of the same age in 1987. To save her mother, with the help of a friend she travels back in time to 1987, pairs up with her mother herself to stop the young killer from being one and return to her timeline.
Performances?
Kiernan Shipka is a bonafide star. She’s many things at once. A typical teenage girl who doesn’t like listening to parents, a girl upon whom grief strikes early and also a detective who is supposedly trying to stop a crime from happening. Her dialogue delivery is solid enough and they pack some punches. Her chemistry with Olivia Holt who plays teen Pam (aka her mother) is so much fun to watch.
Analysis
Totally Killer is a black comedy slasher film directed by Nahnatchka Khan in her sophomore outing from a screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo, and a screen story by Matalon and Perl-Raver. Nahnatchka Khan blends slasher horror, time travel and comedy this Halloween season and there are many things the film gets right.
Totally Killer starts off with the introduction of a Sweet 16 Killer, the serial killer who murdered teenage girls named Tiffany, Marisa, and Heather. They were all killed on their birthdays and stabbed 16 times. Cut to present, Jamie is warned by her mother Pam who used to be friends with the dead teenagers about the Sweet 16 Killers. On the day of Halloween, while distributing candies Pam is stabbed to death by the same Sweet 16 Killer who makes a come-back.
A grief-stricken Jamie wishes to bring back her dead mother with the help of her best-friend’s time-machine. The duo plans to go back to the date the Sweet 16 Killer debuts his killing spree, in order to stop him and thereby save her mother. As Jamie gets chased by the killer she operates the Time machine, travels back with time and teams up with her mother’s teenage self.
The synopsis of Totally Killer sounds for a story that could be as boring as it could be, but Khan blends the best of multiple genres, offers multiple hat-tips to the iconic franchises like Saw, Scream, Back to the Future etc and produces a novel and utterly joyous horror comedy that keeps on giving even when predictability kicks in.
But, still predictability is a killer in Totally Killer. The opening isn’t invocating enough about what’s ahead, not all jokes land and the production design looks very much like a budget Netflix high school film until the time travel kicks in. There are some ridiculously staged slasher scenes like the pop-red Suspiria blood and they are also weirdly shot and cut.
Despite all its predictability and screenplay hiccups, Khan pulls off every trick under her hat. The film is joyous, has its heart at the right place and genuinely does something nice and new, but could have been a lot more. If you’re a fan of the genre-blending horror, Totally Killer is worth your Spooktober.
Music and Other Departments?
Judd Overton’s camera work isn’t extraordinary but suits the template the film is going for. Jeremy Cohen’s editing largely falls short in the first few minutes, while Michael Andrews amps up the mood of the film.
Highlights?
Blend of Sci-Fi, Horror & comedy
Clap-backs to iconic horror & time travel franchises
Kiernan Shipka
Drawbacks?
Predictable after a point
Does a lot but falls out of steam
All Jokes dont land well
There’s not much of slasher horror
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes.
Totally Killer Movie Review by Binged Bureau