Totally Killer review: a bright, funny horror gem

“Totally Killer is a low-budget, extremely goofy horror comedy.”

Pros

• The film’s witty, observant script

• Complementary, note-perfect lead performance

• The film’s shocking mean horror streak

Shortcoming

• The film sometimes looks cheap, made for TV

• The climax of the third act is not as satisfying as it could have been

new amazon prime original movie absolutely killer He doesn’t have particularly high aspirations. This is a film that’s interested in little more than entertaining you for 105 minutes, and whether it’s because of or despite the low expectations that its story and cheap-as-anything aesthetic inspire, it does exactly that. Unlike some other horror movies that didn’t get the rollout they deserved this year, this film is guaranteed to become a cult favorite in the months and years to come. There could be a worse fate, especially for such a spirited and charming film. absolutely killerBut it’s also impossible not to wonder what the outcome might have been had it been given a little more financial and commercial backing.

Fortunately, the film manages to rise above its budgetary constraints due to its genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud lines and visual gags, as well as the pitch-perfect performances of its cast. A time travel thriller about a young girl who tries to save her mother’s high school graduation from a notorious killer, absolutely killer It wears its influences on its sleeve, but it’s more than just a nod to its 1980s horror and sci-fi predecessors. There’s a real artistic personality on display throughout the film that suits its joyful B-movie energy and winningly campy tone.

Set in the small town of North Vernon, absolutely killer Follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), a typically rebellious high school girl desperate to spend Halloween night away from her overbearing, over-protective mother, Pam (Julie Bowen). As the film’s tongue-in-cheek, opening true crime podcast segment reveals, North Vernon was terrorized decades ago by a masked killer known as the “Sweet 16 Killer”, who murdered three of Pam’s fellow female classmates. Had given. While Jamie believes his town’s worst days are behind him, it’s not long before North Vernon’s past comes back to haunt him, his family, and the rest of its citizens.

When Jamie finds herself the victim of a late-night attack by a potentially resurrected Sweet 16 Killer, she travels back in time in a photo booth, recently converted into a time machine by her genius best friend, Amelia. Was gone (Kelsey Mwema). Trapped in 1987, Jamie resolves to use her knowledge of the future to stop the Sweet 16 Killer’s infamous murders. In doing so, she brings herself face to face with a young version of her own mother (played by the often scene-stealing Olivia Holt). What happens next is an unapologetically absurd, shockingly brutal time-travel adventure.

along the way, absolutely killer Takes advantage of almost every opportunity to pack in either an over-the-top murder or a well-timed joke about the generational divide between Jamie and the teenage version of his mother. In particular, the film features rich comedy featuring Jamie’s growing panic over the lax safety standards of the 1980s and the aggressive behavior of Pam and her friends. These jokes, although sometimes obvious, work much more often than they should, and this is thanks not only to the intelligence of absolutely killerThe screenplay, written by David Matalon, Sasha Pearl-Raver and Jane D’Angelo, also features Shipka’s mostly reactionary lead performance.

behind the camera, can always be mine Director Nahanchaka Khan brings a fast, constantly moving energy absolutely killer Which allows the intriguing pace of its script to fully shine. Jeremy Cohen’s editing, meanwhile, makes room for several deadpan reverse cuts that not only add some variety to the film’s otherwise unrelenting rhythm, but also make its best visual gags work that much harder. Khan, Cohen, and the rest of their collaborators have come together to create a horror comedy that feels cohesive in visuals and tone. Throughout the entire film it never felt like anyone involved was any different from everyone else.

This fact helps one see the past absolutely killerThe admittedly cheap look and Judd Overton’s dull, made-for-TV cinematography. Sometimes, Khan manages to turn around absolutely killerThe obvious financial limitations have been turned into a feature rather than a bug – namely, in the moments when Jamie’s travels through time are visualized with a series of dissolves and special effects based around Shipka. Displace the object, even though it remains in its place. The scenes have such a beautifully retro quality that they are, if only briefly, reminiscent of 20th century sci-fi film classics. time machine, However, mostly, absolutely killerIts disappointing aesthetic prevents it from working on as many levels as it otherwise could.

Apart from its visual shortcomings, absolutely killer This is a surprisingly easy film to spend an hour and 45 minutes through. Its fast pace, well-observed jokes, and collection of memorable comedic performances come together to create a horror comedy that delivers everything it should. What I mean to say is that this film is exactly what people interested in it are looking for. Even though it’s far from the best horror film of the year, absolutely killer October Sleepover expertly earns its place as one of the better additions to the existing canon of films in recent memory.

absolutely killer Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.