Totally Killer (2023)

“Remember, avoid the knife, keep your life.”

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina) heads up the time traveling whodunit Totally Killer. The 2023 slasher/sci-fi/dark comedy/mystery has a lot going on in it with two plots running parallel in the present and way back in 1987. In the film, Shipka plays Jamie Hughes, a sixteen year old girl who gets transported back to 1987 while being chased by the Sweet Sixteen Killer who has apparently returned to finish the job that he started in that year.

Jamie’s mother, Pam (Julie Bowen), is murdered in the present by the Sweet Sixteen Killer, who stabs his victims sixteen times. When Jamie realizes that she has been transported back in time, she attempts to not only save her mother by stopping the slasher in the past, but three other young girls who were murdered in 1987 as well. What she discovers is that her mother is part of the Mollies, a schoolgirl clique that dresses as different versions of Molly Ringwald. They also happen to be some of the biggest bullies in school. Disguising herself as Colette, a Canadian exchange student, Jamie teams up with her best friend’s mother in the past in order to discover the identity of the killer, attempt to save the other girls, and ultimately make it back to 2023.

Back in 2023, Jamie’s best friend, Amelia (Kelsey Creston), is trying to recreate the time machine that she built in honor of her mother’s failed attempts to do the same and hopes to go back in time to bring Jamie home. She, along with annoying podcaster Chris Dubusage, begin discovering clues in photos and news reports left by Jamie in the past. As Amelia puts it all together, though, the Sweet Sixteen Killer strikes again and travels back in time to stop Jamie and everyone else. Does the Sweet Sixteen Killer succeed? Does Jamie save her family? Find out in Totally Killer.

The film is…..okay. It’s not terrible at all but feels like it’s just a step or two away from being really good. The Sweet Sixteen Killer in the present is instantly obvious and the Sweet Sixteen Killer in the past isn’t that surprising when finally revealed. Director Nahnatchka Khan does a pretty good job of keeping the parallel plots reasonably easy to follow, but the bounces between past and present make it difficult to remember which teen represents which adult and vice versa. I also got tired of hearing Jamie complain about the 80s and its shortcomings viewed through her eyes. It was funny the first couple of times, but the joke quickly got old.

I will point out that most of the cast did a great job. Olivia Holt as young Pam was brilliant as was Liana Liberato, Stephi Chin-Salvo, and Anna Diaz, who portrayed the rest of the Mollies. The real standout for me was Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson as young Lauren (Amelia’s mother). I also enjoyed the performances of Jeremy Monn-Djasgnar (young Randy), Julie Bowen, and the always reliable Lochlyn Munro (adult Blake, Jamie’s father). I also loved Randall Park as the dim-witted 1987 Sheriff Lim. Kiernan Shipka did a good job overall, but her character was weighed down by less-than-stellar writing.

The film wasn’t scary at all. It had quite a few funny moments, though, especially involving Jamie discovering truths about her parents and other future adults in the past. The movie dialed in the vibe of the 1980s perfectly as well. The science fiction elements were Nickelodeon level at best, but worked for the film’s plot. As previously stated, the killer in the future was easy to peg. The 1987 version of the killer, however, was hard to uncover based primarily on the fact that the story was so all over the place that it was difficult at times to keep up with the characters. Ultimately this turned out to be an average slasher with too many additional and unnecessary elements. I enjoyed it, but not enough to want to see a second or third movie.

Thanks for checking out my review. The film is currently available on Amazon Prime and is free to watch for members. See you again real soon!