Totally Killer
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
★★★★
(L-R): Olivia Holt as Teen Pam, Charlie Gillespie as Teen Blake, Kiernan Shipka as Jamie Hughes, Stephi Chin-Salvo as Marisa Margolis, Jeremy Monn-Djasngar as Teen Randy Finkle in Totally Killer
Credit: James Dittiger/Prime Video
Copyright: ©Amazon Content Services LLC
Filename: TOTK_2022_UT_220609_DITJAM_06652R_700.jpg
There are few things that stand the test of time. Constant reinventions to stay relevant leave few to maintain multi-generational relevance. These things are religion, capitalism, and horror films. While the former is primarily in gest, there remains some unabashed truth. Movie genres, specifically horror, are in a constant state of flux, hoping to grasp some sort of importance in the chaos of consumable media. Subgenres are no exception, which is evident in the subgenre of the slasher movie. From its emergence in the pop culture canon in the late 70s to its satirical self-evaluation in the 90s to its current state in the 2020s, the slasher subgenre is beginning to reinvent itself again, most recently in the new Amazon Prime film, Totally Killer, which sees a subgenre mashup of slasher and time travel comedy.
Totally Killer, director Nahnatchka Khan’s sophomore follow-up to the 2019 Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, follows Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka of Netflix’s Sabrina reboot fame) as she accidentally travels back in time to stop the Sweet Sixteen Killer from terrorizing her mother’s (Julie Benz) friend group from becoming masked-killer fodder.
The film balances the tried and true formulas of slasher and time travel comedies in a successful marriage of subgenres, often still being inventive enough to leave a positive mark on both. The story comes from David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo, who deftly weave in homages and tropes from films that champion the subgenres with their own creative new influence.
From a technical standpoint, Khan inserts some creative 80s-esque low-budget effects that, while not as impressive as a film with a gargantuan budget, leans into the camp and feel of the film overall, leaving the viewer satisfied with the lack of effects budget because it makes sense in the world of the film. Additionally, there are some creative homages to the film's inspirations by way of shots or scenes that call back to them, yet done so in a manner of gratitude and not similitude. One sequence in particular will leave fans of John Carpenter’s original 1978 Halloween beaming.
Totally Killer is boasted by a strong lead performance from Shipka and enough exciting twists on the whodunit formula to satisfy even the most cynical of slasher fans. While not extremely gory, leaning more into the ilk of Scream or Happy Death Day, Totally Killer is one for the ages and will definitely end up as a repeat October viewing for many horror fans.
