Critics and audiences alike seem pleased with Prime Video‘s new original this week, though the premise is nothing too unique. Occupying the long-running niche of slasher-comedies such as Happy Death Day and Freaky, Totally Killer blends in yet another twist on the blood-spattered proceedings; this time, it is more science fiction than ever. If you are not already head over heels for this polarizing genre, Totally Killer might give you the chance you need to get invested.
Totally Killer Plot Summary
When a recent tragedy befalls a community still reeling 35 years after the killing spree and disappearance of a masked killer, a teen girl accidentally time travels to the day of the first murder. Seizing the chance to stop and reveal the elusive serial killer, she navigates the 1980s version of her hometown, where her teenage parents cavort and revel like there is no tomorrow.
The Strange, Surprisingly Stable of Comedy and Horror in Film
Since 1986, when Tobe Hooper saw the opportunity to parody himself in his Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel, slasher comedies have naturally balanced their opposite qualities with shocking ease. Critics hated the combination attempts at first, but a cult following sprung up out of the raving slasher fans who, like Hooper, saw that the newly codified slasher genre was already becoming a joke unintentionally. Like any over-the-top genre, campy follow-ups are now a guarantee, and Totally Killer is flush with as much blood and knowing laughs as any Scream movie.
Totally Killer also has to navigate the time travel side, which it does with an anything-goes approach where butterfly effects and linear time inexplicably coexist. The rules do not matter in the end, as the script only wants to have fun. We follow an irresistible Kiernan Shipka on her investigation and fruitless protection attempts of the vain, horny future victims, all the while knowing that it is aping a Back to the Future message with an adults-only bent. By whimsically entertaining its intended audience, Totally Killer stands with the rest as an equally fun and formulaic ride.
Kiernan Shipka in ‘Totally Killer’
Is the Movie Gimmick Twist + Slasher-Comedy Formula Enough Anymore?
In Happy Death Day, the Groundhog Day approach to the slasher plotline felt like another in a long line of gimmick movies, minorly wasting its undeniable potential on excessive familiarity. It was popular and amusing enough to spawn a sequel, but the director’s Freaky Friday twist in 2020 slightly improved his standing by better balancing the genres at play. Totally Killer director Nahnatchka Khan has already proved her awareness and ability to portray genre trappings in the rom-com Always Be My Maybe; even so, her juggling here is once again noteworthy, with a constant liveliness to propel us through potential trouble spots.
If Freaky has not already convinced you, Totally Killer might not be the choice for you, either. The film is a winking ’80s romp through a slasher film, and, as its mildly psychic overarching design continually references and pokes fun at, we already know what will happen from the onset. You may be over- or underwhelmed coming in with too much of a critical eye, but for anyone rabid for any of the three genres Totally Killer boasts, streaming this is a no-brainer.
Totally Killer is streaming now on Prime Video.