Totally Killer

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2:29

Totally Killer

R

2023

1h 43m

Horror

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

106 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Thirty-five years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. Seventeen-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ignores her overprotective mom's (Julie Bowen) warning and comes face-to-face with the masked maniac and, on the run for her life, accidentally time travels back to 1987, the year of the original killings. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar and outrageous culture of the 1980s, Jamie teams up with her teen mom (Olivia Holt) to take down the killer once and for all, before she's stuck in the past forever.

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Critics Consensus

Totally Killer may not take full advantage of its promising conceit, but this time-traveling horror/sci-fi mashup is still enjoyable overall.

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Audience Says

Totally Killer has fun with its premise and Kiernan Shipka is great in the lead, so even if this isn't the best movie of its kind, it's still well worth a watch.

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Craig Mathieson

The Age (Australia)

It’s a mix of masked murderers and social satire, as Jamie has to navigate the “problematic” new world she finds herself in. Nahnatchka Khan’s movie is slight but enjoyable, and Mad Men star Shipka is a deft horror heroine.

Oct 19, 2023

Full Review

Michael Nordine

Variety

In trying to break the tension with humor, too many horror movies undercut their emotional stakes by instead being glib, a pitfall “Totally Killer” mostly manages to avoid.

Oct 12, 2023

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Matthew Jackson

AV Club

It’s not necessarily a new slasher classic, but it is the kind of film horror devotees can happily kick back and enjoy on a cozy Friday night in October, and that’s a particular achievement all its own.

Rated: B

Oct 9, 2023

Full Review

James Preston Poole

Discussing Film

Will this be anyone’s new favorite horror film? Doubtful, but it might be someone’s new favorite comedy. It boasts loads of genuine heart and a snappy sense of humor, resulting in a great comfort watch for many going forward.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 22, 2024

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Joshua Ryan

FandomWire

Totally Killer is a film that checks all of the boxes, taking great pride in its inclusion of the tropes and clichés of the genre.

Rated: 6/10

Jul 28, 2024

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Branyan Towe

Loud and Clear Reviews

Kiernan Shipka and Olivia Holt are top notch leading ladies of a comedy slasher story with plenty of soul and gnarly kills.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 25, 2024

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yoda y

pretty good. Kinda funny and it's pretty entertaining with good actors and characters

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/09/24

Full Review

Jake S

Think high school rocker boy Marty McFly, only now it’s a high school hipster girl named Jamie Hughes. Think a time machine DeLorean, only now it’s a time machine carnival photo booth. The comparisons between 1985’s “Back to the Future” and this year’s “Totally Killer” are practically endless, but don’t let that deter you. It is 100% self-aware of that. In fact, “Back to the Future” is mentioned by name multiple times throughout the film. Jamie’s mom Pam (Julie Bowen of “Modern Family” fame) hates Halloween. In 1987, three of her best friends were brutally murdered by the coined Sweet Sixteen Killer, each one stabbed 16 times. So she definitely has a reason to not like this particular holiday. Jamie herself (a hysterical Kiernan Shipka), on the other hand, couldn’t care less what her mom thinks. After all, she is at that rebellious high school age of—wait for it—16 years old. Her friend Amelia Creston is building a time machine in a photo booth for the science fair because why not? Who said this film had to make sense? Jamie and Amelia concoct an idea to travel back in time to save Pam’s friends from dying. Unfortunately, they’re stopped by the return of the Sweet Sixteen Killer. After an attack, Jamie finds herself smack dab in the middle of 1987 and starts without hesitation to find and stop the killer. Well, cause and effect take place and Jamie’s mere presence messes up all the history and facts of the murders she heard about during the present day. I’ll stop there. “Totally Killer” is the rare horror comedy that blends the two genres into a perfect cocktail that goes down easy but still packs a punch. I found myself jumping a few times, laughing out loud more than just a few times, and by the end of the movie I had a nice wide smile on my face that I couldn’t shake off for a while. That’s what the best horror comedies do: They gross you out, shock you, make you laugh the whole time, and somehow after the body count still rises, you can’t help but grin at the feel-good nature of the whole thing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

Full Review

Angelo R

A fun time travel movie in the vein of "Back to the Future" and "Hot Tub Time Machine", with a fun slasher movie thrown into the mix. I grew up in the 80's and had a lot of fun with memories and hearing some great music of the era.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/29/24

Full Review

Guy P

Fun take on a slasher genre that's been done to death, with twists and turns along the entire timeline, campy in all the right ways.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

Steven L

Learned about this from a podcast and I'm so glad I listened to them. This movie was a lot of fun! Back to the Future meets Slasher Films!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

Full Review

Audience Member

It was great movie. Have not watched a movie this great in a long time. Loved every minute. You don't get great movies like this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/24

Full Review

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Nahnatchka Khan

Director

Kiernan Shipka

Jamie

Olivia Holt

Teen Pam

Julie Bowen

Pam

Randall Park

Actor

Charlie Gillespie

Teen Blake

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Totally Killer: Exclusive Movie Clip - Pam Miller

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Synopsis

Thirty-five years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. Seventeen-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ignores her overprotective mom's (Julie Bowen) warning and comes face-to-face with the masked maniac and, on the run for her life, accidentally time travels back to 1987, the year of the original killings. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar and outrageous culture of the 1980s, Jamie teams up with her teen mom (Olivia Holt) to take down the killer once and for all, before she's stuck in the past forever.

Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Producer: Jason Blum, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath
Screenwriter: David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, Jen D'Angelo
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Blumhouse Television, Divide/Conquer
Rating: R (Sexual Material|Language|Bloody Violence|Teen Drug/Alcohol Use)
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 6, 2023
Runtime: 1h 43m

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