Time travel and horror go hand and hand because things never go as planned. Nahnatchka Khan (Director) sets up a universe where the future meets the past while also paying homage to many influential things from the Eighties. Sure the concept isn’t new, but Khan has a keen sense of what audiences want. There’s a balance of nostalgia, comedy and horror. There are some very gruesome murder scenes where the audience sees the killer stab his victim multiple times. This may make some viewers cringe, but then Khan with the help of Kiernan Shipka (Jamie) steers the film back to some goofy, horror fun.
There are many pop reference Easter Eggs hidden throughout TOTALLY KILLER that add to the entertainment. Jamie brings up the film Back to the Future several times. Unlike the character Marty she must keep her parents from hooking up before the time is right. Her friend in the present Amelia Creston (Kelcey Mawema) creates a time machine, just like the Dr. Emmett Brown character in Back to the Future. There are also other references to Molly Ringwald, Pretty in Pink and the name Hughes is in reference to iconic director John Hughes.
It was a little odd seeing the character of Jamie try and bring the sensibilities and social awareness to the kids of the Eighties. Unwanted touching references to penises and others run rampant through the script as Jamie tries to correct these issues. The first few times this happens it’s funny, but after a while, it gets a little repetitive. This also makes Jamie lose track of her goal of stopping the killer and slows down the pacing of the film.
The reveal of the killer could have been handled better, it felt a little anti-climatic in its execution. The way Jamie gets back to the future makes up for this though and the butterfly effect reveals also left me chuckling.
TOTALLY KILLER works well as a horror/comedy, there’s enough of both to entertain the audience. The cast works pretty well, especially Shipka, Jamie’s teen mother Olivia Holt (Pam Miller) and Jamie’s ally in the past Teen Laura Creston (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson). Each elevates their dialogue and characters to something special.
The film’s premise is fun and the nostalgia keeps on flowing throughout. There are not many dull moments in this Slahing Time-Travel Horror/Comedy.
