Totally Killer is one of those movies that won’t work for everyone. Frankly, it probably won’t work for most people unless you’re on its wavelength. The best way to describe the film is an “R rated Disney Channel original movie”. This movie is very much made for those people (specifically stoners) who grew up with the DCOMs in the 90s and the 2000s. The simple plot is about a girl who ends up being sent back in time to 1987, the year her mom and friends were attacked by a mysterious killer. It’s very clearly a riff on Back To The Future and it really doesn’t do anything new for the horror genre, but I still really liked it.
The biggest positive of this film is the performances, specifically Kiernan Shipka as the lead being sent back in time. Olivia Holt is also great as the younger version of her mom. They aren’t giving oscar worthy performances, but they are perfect for the style and the vibe this film is going for. Also, shoutout to Andrew Barber who plays a cop in this film. I met him when I was doing improv in high school and it's cool to see him playing roles in prominent releases.
The film does have a very Disney Channel aesthetic and that can be seen through the structure and some of the ways it plays out. This film’s time travel logic is heavily flawed, but in a satirical way. It’s like that Treehouse of Horror episode where Homer goes back and accidentally steps on the animal and changes history except that Kiernan’s character is doing that every scene and not really caring about the consequences. The film also follows the narrative structure of Back To The Future completely. While that kind of thing bothers me sometimes, I really didn’t feel that during this movie.
The killer was an interesting design that reminded me of Billy Idol or even the Max Headroom Incident. I couldn’t stop thinking about that connection throughout the film.
The movie seems like a satire on time travel films to me, so that’s why many issues some might have didn’t really affect me. The problem people are having I feel is that they are taking the film too seriously. This is one of those movies that you eat a special brownie or drink a fruity cooler and just kick back and enjoy. Anyone who’s looking for some profound filmmaking that changes our perspective on each other and society as a whole don’t need to watch this film. If you are looking for a fun film to watch during the Halloween season and possibly pair with some herbal or fruity refreshments, than this is your film.
The film definitely has its flaws, but I feel like there’s a point or purpose to those elements. If we look at the film as a satire of the convoluted subgenre of time travel films, than many of the issues cease to exist. To me, the film feels fresh and interesting enough to validate its existence.
Totally Killer is a great film to watch during the Halloween season. An 80s throwback with earmarks of Disney Channel original movies for those who grew up with them. With some fun performances (specifically Kiernan Shipka) and some fun satirical elements, I would recommend this one for the spooky season. If you want to have fun, this is your film!
The Rating
