What would happen if you took Happy Death Day and mixed it with Back to the Future? You would either get one hot, mess of a movie or an awesome, not too scary, horror film. Luckily, Totally Killer falls into the latter category. The MGM production, which is now streaming on Prime Video, combines time travel with serial killer, slasher films. During this Halloween season, with all the gory, demonic, supernatural elements that tend to make their way into theatrical releases, it is always good to have something a little more fun and lighthearted to counterbalance all that weightiness. However, unless you have access to Prime Video, you won't get a chance to see it.
Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka; Mad Men) has felt somewhat smothered by her overprotective mother, Pam (Julie Bowen; Modern Family) for her entire, sixteen-year-long life, especially when October hits. From self-defense classes, to pepper spray and a rape whistle, Pam has only ever wanted to keep Jamie safe from what happened to Pam's friends when they were sixteen. However, thirty-five years later, the serial killer who murdered Pam's friends has returned and is now going after Pam and Jamie. As Jamie tries to fight off the Killer, she ends up in a time machine and is transported back to 1987.
Shipka has a likable quality about her while being a good actress. She carries the whole film on her shoulders and makes it look easy in every scene. The younger supporting cast - Olivia Holt (Cruel Summer), Charlie Gillespie (Julie and the Phantoms), Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson (Big Sky), Liana Liberato (Scream VI), Kelcey Mawema (To All the Boys I've Loved Before), Steph Chin-Salvo (Upload), Ella Choi (Dare Me), Jeremy Monn-Djasngar (Cruel Summer), Nathaniel Appiah (American Gods), etc. embrace their roles and perform well. Had they not, Totally Killer could have fallen apart quickly. The adults, while good are very much an afterthought.
Director Nahnatchka Khan (Always Be My Maybe) takes a well-written script and makes it her own. Her pacing is very good and all three acts are equally as good making the movie enjoyable from beginning to end. Writers David Matalon (The Clearing), Sasha Peri-Raver (Let's Get Married), and Jen D'Angelo (Hocus Pocus 2), absolutely nailed the '80s. From movie and actor references to drugs/alcohol depictions, house parties, as well as the vernacular of the time, they (embarrassingly) point out that teens in 1987 were rather clueless and were what society would now call "politically incorrect", which Jamie points out to the group constantly.
The rest of the crew also outdo themselves by bringing the glorious late 1980s to life. The wardrobe, hair, makeup, and set design teams all got their elements right and the soundtrack brought me back to my teen years in an instant. Composer Michael Andrews (Donny Darko) keeps the score light as well, in keeping with the comedy theme, unlike other horror movies that tend to have music that is dark and ominous.
While I suppose younger audiences won't find Totally Killer as interesting, funny, and nostalgic as Gen-Xers will, the film is still a good time and just downright fun. It is a shame Amazon didn't want to give this one a theatrical release because it probably could have done well at the box office.
I suggest getting a group of friends together, grabbing some snacks, popcorn, and soda, and having an enjoyable evening while not spending a fortune. I also think that at some point Totally Killer will become a cult classic. I would say let's hope for a sequel but I think that would just ruin this movie. One and done, in this case, is an apt motto to recite.
Offsetting some of the terrible remakes, sequels, and book adaptations that are littering theaters this month, Totally Killer should give everyone hope that the comedy/horror genre is alive and well.
Grade: B
