Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Writers: David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo
Stars: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie
Synopsis: When the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns 35 years after his first murder spree to claim another victim, 17-year-old Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, determined to stop the killer before he can start.
Nahnatchka Khan takes tired concepts, like the horror and teen comedy genres, and doesn’t make them fresh again, but somehow incredibly entertaining. That’s because Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and Fresh Off the Boat writer/director (and frequent Ali Wong collaborator) adapts an American black comedy slasher into an often hilarious cultural critique of a decade known for its social faux pas. In other words, the film is Totally Killer.
Khan’s film follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), a 17-year-old high school student rebelling against her overbearing and controlling mother, Pam (Julie Bowen), and her needy father, Blake (Lochlyn Munro). Jamie wants to go to a costume party with her best friend, Amelia (Kelcey Mawema), but Pam wants her daughter to stay home and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. That’s because, in 1987, Pam had her three best friends murdered by the Sweet 16 Killer.
Frankly, Jamie is sick of hearing about it. Blake drops her off, and Pam hands out the candy. That’s until the Sweet 16 Killer returns wearing their famous Max Headroom masks. The killer is equipped with a giant knife. But make no mistake, the joke is on them, because Pam is a kick-ass mom who has been taking self-defense classes for years.
After hiding numerous weapons around the house (she makes the fatal mistake of talking too much), Pam makes a valiant attempt to survive the attack but is found stabbed to death by some grade schoolers looking for free diabetes-inducing treats.
Now that her mother is the fourth victim on the notorious killer’s list, Pam begins to try to save her mother by traveling back to a time dominated by big hair, colorful neon shirts with shoulder pads, and acid-washed jeans, where all the rage is to stop the killer, which means it will save her mother in the future—no matter the consequences.
Totally Killer was written by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo. Typically, too many hands in a script would make things chaotic and incoherent. However, Khan’s film hits the right note of clever satire, biting commentary, and horror thrills to create a consistently entertaining, yet not all surprising, streaming dark comedy with fun twists of nostalgia. Just like Happy Death Day and Freaky, respectively.
Totally Killer has a much lighter touch because the film is more comic and fantasy-based than anything. Yet, since the film is produced by Jason Blum when murders occur, they can be sobering because they are particularly jarring. I mean, who wants to see Claire Dunphy scream for her life and get stabbed a couple dozen times in the back for fun (even though I could see Phil Dunphy finally snapping)? Since the film really is a comedy, the writers make the horror count.
While the script can be very clever with its jokes, particularly when Kiernan Shipka’s deadpan reactions to the politically incorrect actions, statements, and overall attitude towards women clash with today’s feminist principles, the time travel plot is glossed over without real thought or care, with a flimsy excuse of a conductor. It’s as if they wanted to do Back to the Future but had the Netflix streaming dud When We First Met in the background, threw a photobooth into the script, and washed their hands of it. Not to mention, why not just go back to the night of her mom’s murder and not decades prior?
However, that’s a minor complaint, because Khan’s film doesn’t want to redefine the time travel genre. Totally Killer is meant to provide an entertaining and smart social commentary, in which it slays often and well. It’s an entertaining slasher entry for people who are non-horror enthusiasts, but want to dip their toes in those bloody good waters that October has to offer.
