‘God, the 80s are wild...’
The ’80s nostalgia train shows absolutely no sign of slowing down and I for one have been on board since day one. If it were an actual train I’d be the conductor, that’s how board for it I am. The premise of Totally Killer is such an obviously great idea that it’s astonishing that it has taken this long to exist…
The premise will be familiar to anyone who likes slasher movies. In 1987, the small town of Vernon is terrorised by a murderer dubbed the ‘Sweet Sixteen Killer’ for the age of his victims and the fact that he always stabs them 16 times. 35 years later he comes back for Pam Hughes (Julie Bowen), one of the survivors of the original murders. After Pam is indeed brutally murdered, her daughter Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) discovers that she can travel back in time and so heads back to 1987 to catch the killer and save her mum in the past (played by Olivia Holt).
Now, observing that people in the ’80s were more racist and sexist than we are now is hardly groundbreaking. And in lesser hands, this really could be low-hanging fruit. What makes it work here is Shipka’s quiet despair about the sensibilities of the time and perhaps even more crucially, these observations come from a place of humour and warmth rather than judgement. It is clear that everyone involved in this project has a passion for ’80s slasher movies, it would be impossible to make such an accurate parody if that were not the case. Director Nahnatchka Khan, working from a screenplay credited to David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver and Jen D’Angelo also resists the temptation to resort to fan service. While there are references to various other slasher movies, these are delivered smartly rather than just ‘Do you remember this moment from a different film?’.
Totally Killer has a lot going for it. A talented cast firing on all cylinders. A great premise. A smart script. Horror fans will love it. I certainly did.