AMAZON FILM REVIEW: TOTALLY KILLER (2023)
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver & Jen D’Angelo
Story by David Matalon & Sasha Perl-Raver
Produced by Jason Blum, Adam Hendricks & Greg Gilreath
Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Lochlyn Munro, Troy L. Johnson, Liana Liberato, Kelcey Mawema, Stephi Chin Salvo, Anna Diaz, Ella Choi, Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar, Nathaniel Appiah, Jonathan Potts, Randall Park, Julie Bowen, etc.
Cinematography by Judd Overton
*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
Here’s a thing that rarely happens, I actually watched a trailer and thought, “Hey, that film looks really entertaining, so I am going to watch it now.” That trailer was for Totally Killer (2023) which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. The story is essentially Back to the Future (1985) meets Scream (1996), but the hilarious and pacey screenplay wears it’s influences proudly and even cleverly name-checks those two classic examples of the time-travel and slasher sub-genres.
Based in the present day, Totally Killer (2023) is set in the small town Vernon, USA. The film opens with a Vernon podcaster and tour guide revealing how the horrific “Sweet 16 Killer” struck killing three teenage girls in 1987. Unfortunately, the murderer suddenly reappears and kills again. In a frenetic chase through the house, Pam Hughes (Julie Bowen) battles the 1980’s masked slicer, but unfortunately she meets her demise. In grief from the death of her mother is sparky teenager, Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka), and she finds solace with her friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema), who happens to be designing a time machine as a science project. Well, what do you know!! Jamie finds herself being attacked by the “Sweet 16 Killer” and somehow goes sent back to 1987. There she has a chance to investigate the original crime and perhaps save her mum from being murdered in the future.
Even as I write this basic synopsis of the opening act I realise Totally Killer (2023) seems so contrived and derivative, but I found it to be an absolute blast. The script is clever and knowing with energetic and fun characters. Kiernan Shipka as Jamie is especially brilliant with great comedy timing and delivery. The filmmakers embrace the joy of time-travel and horror film tropes, and there’s also some excellent set-pieces involving the obligatory 1980’s false-faced psycho with a grudge. Moreover, the “fish-out-of-time” gags which derive from Jamie’s reactions to the 1980’s people, fashion and moral attitudes are a real joy. I was smiling and laughing throughout. Yet, significantly this film also deftly balances the suspense, action, horror and science-fiction aspects brilliantly. Stranger Things gets a lot of critical acclaim for stealing wholesale from Stephen King’s back catalogue. Totally Killer (2023) blatantly borrows permanently from everything and for me remains one of the consistently entertaining films of 2023.
The Cinema Fix presents 