The film “Totally Killer,” directed by Nahnatchka Khan, was released as an Amazon Prime original movie in 2023. This film focuses on an angsty teen, Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), who just wants her mother to be less paranoid about her freedom. Jamie’s mother Pam, had been traumatized by the infamous murders of the 1987 sweet sixteen serial killer. Three of her closest friends being victims lead Pam (Julie Bowen) to become guarded and skilled with defense. On Halloween night, Jamie leaves for a concert driving with her dad. Meanwhile in their very home Pam is attacked by a masked sweet sixteen killer, ending in her fatality 36 years later. The killer doesn’t hesitate to target Jamie next, causing her to jump into her friend’s science fair time machine accidentally taking her back in time to 1987, when the murders first occurred.
This review will contain spoilers so if you haven’t seen the film I would recommend watching it before reading this review for “Totally Killer.”
Even though this would be considered a slasher movie, there are so many scenes you can genuinely laugh at. The most comical parts were when they made fun of the unorganized fashion of the ’80s. Just allowing people to walk into a school without question, handing you a schedule, and sending you on your merry way. Another scene that captured the decade difference was when Jamie gives the police a blood DNA sample from the killer. They look at her like she’s crazy and nonchalantly throw the bloody napkin on the floor, laughing her statement off.
The character designs had an interesting contrast. Young Pam being a pretty-in-pink fashionable girl, while her daughter was more grunge created a unique dynamic between the characters, trying to merge herself into the preppy popular lifestyle her mother once lived. The Sweet Sixteen Killers design wasn’t anything crazy: it was a plastic mask with blonde hair, a dangle earring, and a toothy smile. I liked the design because it was similar to the 1980s Max Headroom, the fictional computer-generated TV presenter. Even he gives the chilling energy of an uncanny valley person that would scare you stalking in the night.
The pacing in the film never kept you bored or waiting, there was always something to be investing yourself in. Even the murder scenes kept you on your toes because you would initially think the killer would strike in one place, but due to Jamie going back and changing what originally occurred, the murder scene would change. The killer being revealed as the current 2023 principal in high school (Conrad Coates) was honestly kind of surprising. They played him off as a sweet, comical character the entire story. Then you find out he was dating the girl that all the murder victims bullied. I understand why Jamie was never able to prevent the first three murders because they were karma. All of them were all at fault for the drunk driving death of a young girl, with young Pam not being present at the time of murder, sparing her from the original Sweet Sixteen murders.
Adding another current day killer to the mix of everything made the plot even more thrilling. The Killer knowing what Jamie was up to and making her a specific target was smart. It put her in her mom’s shoes way back when. Both of the killers had a specific motive too, so nothing was confusing. The ending of the movie will throw you for a loop. Jamie’s actions of the past did have repercussions to her future life. In a “Back to the Future” fashion, coming back to her present day with her mother safe and alive, and an older brother oddly enough named Jamie. Now her name changed to Colette as she ended being the second born due to her parents meeting earlier in life. Considering that time travel is a complicated thing, and even the smallest tweak to the past will result in a different future.
I would give the film “Totally Killer” a 5/5. It was a fun time, a thrilling story, and will have you guessing what happens next. The only thing that would have made this film better would be more picturesque cinematography, but that wasn’t the objective and that’s okay. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who read this and hasn’t seen it yet.
