I love horror. Anyone who knows ME, knows THAT. Does it mean it revolves around the sun of my entire existence? No, but whenever someone asks me what kinds of movies are my favorite to watch, I generally tell them, “Comedy and horror,” and this is STILL the case.
Of course, being “the horror guy” for That Nerd Show, whenever a new one arrives, which we have access to, I am often the “go-to” guy for that. Although I missed my opportunity to see “Totally Killer” in advance of its Amazon Prime release, I was content to see it the way most people likely would. My first curiosity is, “Does the film look and sound better on the big screen, compared to the small screen?” Naturally, I was wondering this because, on both counts, it seemed cheap, but maybe that was by design. Those who were involved COULD make that excuse if they need to go that route.
Speaking of that, “Totally Killer” was directed by Nahnatchka Khan (“Always Be My Maybe”) and written by: David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver and Jen D’Angel. Production credits belong to: Jason Blum (“BlacKkKlansman”), Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath. It would seem that Blum was eager to produce a horror film directed by a woman due to his supposed “stupid comments” concerning their relatively low inclusion rates within the film industry, not just as an industry, altogether, but especially the sub-genre of horror, itself. Will it pay off?
Kiernan Shipka (“Wildflower”) stars as Jamie Hughes, the lone daughter of Pam Hughes, played by Julie Bowen (“Mixtape”) and Blake Hughes, played by Lochlyn Munro (“When Time Got Louder”). Together, they reside in the modern-day town of Vernon; a place that could exist in just about any semi-rural region of these United States, which I am sure was deliberate. The place has become infamous due to its connection with a small, murder spree from all the way back in 1987. Almost as quickly as we, the audience, have been introduced to our leading family, a surprise attack has taken place, seemingly connected to the aforementioned killings, but why? Who knows? This is the crux of the story, you will find.
Jamie reconnects with her best friend, Amelia Creston (played by Kelcey Mawema), who has inherited not just her mother’s predilection for science-based technology, but also a mysterious, little notebook, filled with important notes for a contraption that could “change the world”…in my own words. If you have EVER seen any of the “Back to the Future” movies, you should instantly be “transported back” to some of your own, nostalgic memories; good memories, I would hope.
Jamie, at least at this time, is relatable to any of us who have ever lost a loved one, but beyond that, she is mainly a product of her time; THIS time, which is awkward at being sociable and somewhat annoying in her plight to remain relevant to the times, which is about as vague as I can get without giving away too much about the present-day norms compared to the acceptable behaviors of the 1980s. How many of us would be shocked at our own parents’ attitudes if we were to encounter them all those years ago? I guess that would depend on the person.
As I have often said before, I try not to penalize a film for being unoriginal or too predictable. I had mixed feelings about “Totally Killer” for the majority of the movie, but felt more positive during other moments, as well. If I were filling out a small form at the screening, I would probably fall into the category of “mixed to positive.” It is one of those times in which I wish I could add (or take away) a half point on the 10-point scale, but for now, I have to “get off the fence” and pick a whole number. In the interest of keeping up with Rotten Tomato’s approval scale, I will “round down,” as Seinfeld’s father suggested during a tip tabulation.
The nostalgia was fun, but not enough to save the shortcomings, in my estimation; almost, but not quite. The ending seemed to have been pieced together from some leftover ideas still on the table. Nearly every horror picture feels the need to have a good “twist ending,” no pun intended, but it is not worth the effort if it feels forced or adds to an already over-complicated mess of an ending. I would suggest just rewatching the original “Scream” or “Back to the Future”…which might make for an intriguing double feature, come to think of it. Both of those films were scarier AND funnier than this one was. As another character from ‘Seinfeld’ once said, “To be honest, it just didn’t make it for me.” Sorry! It is an average movie, only slightly elevated by its subtle charms, short of a definitive recommendation from THIS critic, for whatever that is worth…which I do not think is very much, but, hey, it is STILL my review. So there!
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Screenwriters: David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, Jen D’Angelo
Producers: Jason Blum, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt as teen Pam Miller, Julie Bowen as adult Pam Hughes, Charlie Gillespie as teen Blake Hughes, Lochlyn Munro as adult Blake Hughes, Kimberly Huie as adult Lauren Creston, Liana Liberato as Tiffany Clark, Tommy Europe as adult Randy Finkle, Conrad Coates as adult Doug Summers, Randall Park as Sheriff Dennis Lim, Brendan O’Brien as adult Lurch and Andy Thompson as Mr. Parr
Distributor: Amazon Prime Video
Release: September 28th, 2023 (Fantastic Fest) and October 6th, 2023
