Spooky Season 2023: Totally Killer Review

Totally Killer is the second and probably the lesser known Blumhouse horror release of the weekend but instead of getting a theatrical release, this one is premiering on Prime Video. The film takes place in modern day when the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” (a killer known to stab their teenage victims 16 times) returns 35 years after their first murder spree to claim the victim who escaped them all those years earlier. After barely escaping the killer, 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) found herself accidentally sent back to 1987, determined to stop them before they can start their killing spree and save the life of her soon to be mother Pam (Holt). In the end, it is a total blast and such a fun throwback to 80’s slasher with an identity of its own with a modern twist.

The film is quite literally what one would get if they threw Back to the Future, in a blender with Scream, Happy Death Day, or Freaky, and thankfully it’s just as fun and enjoyable to watch as it sounds on paper. Having such a fun and unique premise, it takes full advantage and provides a ton of laughs and non-stop entertainment over its breezy 106-minute runtime. It cleverly pokes fun of the current generation just as much as it does with the 80’s, and it’s such a cool approach being able to see how wildly different the time periods were without it ever taking away focus from the central mystery or becoming too obnoxious or forced. The actual slasher side of the things doesn’t disappoint either as it utilizes its R rating to deliver bloodier than expected kills albeit ones that lack creativity and variety.

A big reason to why the film works as well as it does is due to Shipka’s terrific performance and her undeniable commitment to the material. Jaime could’ve so easily come off as annoying or unlikable, but she never allowed her to enter that territory by keeping her insanely likeable and relatable throughout. Hollywood really needs to put her in more things because her career should’ve exploded after Mad Men. Another major standout in the cast is Holt who plays the younger version of Jamie’s mother Pam. The relationship between the two is so fun to watch play out over the course of the film and even gives the film a bit of heart and genuine sweetness. Meanwhile, it’s always great seeing Julie Bowen and she’s an absolute delight once again as the present-day Pam, even if she understandably isn’t given much to do in not a whole ton of screen time. The entire cast deserves a shoutout because they all clearly had a blast making this and knew what kind of film they were in.

Where it falls a bit short is with its killer reveal and third act but no need to worry about any sort of spoilers. Not only is the identity of the killer extremely obvious from the start, their motivations are sadly lacking and not very satisfying. The look of the killers mask also leaves a bit more to be desired and feels a bit lazy coming from a studio as inventive as Blumhouse. The film also loses a bit of steam in the third act when it decides to take itself a bit more seriously and the setting becomes a bit more contained. While more of a nitpick than anything, there should have been a few more scenes included at the end because it does wrap itself up a bit too quickly.

In the end, for those looking for an insanely fun and extremely entertaining horror comedy with a clever time travel spin to it and a great lead performance from Kiernan Shipka to watch around Halloween, look no further than Totally Killer. In what has been a bit of an underwhelming year for horror it is one of the stronger entries to the genre even if it’s far more funny than scary.

still courtesy of Prime Video

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/