Totally Killer (2023) - Maybe I'm jaded, but the slasher renaissance faded away around 2010 for me. Things were turning ultra violent and sadistic and gone were the days of a good, campy whodunit. The fun, meta takes on the genre were long gone for tdhe likes of Saw, Hostel and the French extreme movement. Don't get me wrong, I love these films but they lost the magic of the Scream franchise and the 90's slasher and things became more serious, birthing their own style as we moved into the later 2010s. There were a few that managed to capture some fun takes, like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon but I digress.
But along comes a movie that wants to reinvigorate a genre, poking fun at what makes it, well, fun. Totally Killer is one such film.
The film follows Jamie and her family as they live their lives amongst the tragedy of her parent's past. The Sweet 16 killer brutally murdered her mom and dad's friends some years ago in 1987. When the killer strikes again, Jamie finds herself time traveling to the past to befriend her high school aged parents to change the future.
This movie is absolutely hilarious and it really rests on the shoulders of its cast. Each character is uniquely funny. Each with their own lines that keep hitting. This cast is having an absolute blast chewing up their dialogue and it shows. The teens are well casted, as well as the parents, and you get some great one liners. Kiernan Shipka, who plays Jamie, is an absolute gem and her delivery and timing of her lines are comedic gold.
Also credit where credit is due, but the concept of time travel is so well done that you start to see the glaring plot holes of Back to the Future and wonder why Zemeckis didn't think of it first. Mixing this with a slasher/whodunit film keeps you guessing. My only gripe with the movie is the killer's look. I get that it's a movie set in the 80's but damn is it just an uninspired mask. My guess is it's a spook on Max Headroom but in the context of this movie, it just doesn't work for me.
Other than that this is a totally rad film that breathes a little life into the genre while keeping it fresh and funny. It's not overtly violent or crass and likely nothing your kids have never heard or seen before. So I'd say it's a totally appropriate PG13 movie for some popcorn with the teenaged members of the family. You and them would likely get a kick out of this nostalgic little time capsule.