Totally Killer

**_Return of the ‘Sweet 16 Killer’ at a town in Washington_** A 17 years-old teen in the Great Northwest (Kiernan Shipka) is intent on stopping a masked serial killer from 35 years earlier. “Totally Killer” (2023) is a dynamic and amusing slasher mixed with a lot of 80s-isms. If I said more, it’d give away important plot details, which are better left discovered for yourself. Let’s just say it’s a meshing of 80’s slashers like “Sweet Sixteen” and “Halloween IV” with the fun tone of “Peggy Sue Got Married.” A plus is that it effectively adds human interest despite the campiness. Kiernan works well as the attractive, sassy protagonist while Julie Bowen is on hand as her mother. Liana Liberato (Tiffany) and Olivia Holt (Pam) are also worth a mention. The movie runs 1 hour, 46 minutes, was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, including The Bridge Studios in linking Burnaby. GRADE: B+

Totally Killer, mixes a little 80's nostalgia, with a campy slasher flick. Its not a bad formula and it mostly works, but only in a functional sense. That is, this film is competently done but the core cinematic elements that are supposed to help drive this film forward, are a little lacking in places. The 80's nostalgia, one of the key ingredients, lacks flavour. That is to say, there is not a lot that speaks directly to the 1980's, save a dash of period specific music and a degree of political incorrectness, not seen in today's up tight society. I personally think they could have gone further and done a lot more, to really bring home that 80's atmosphere. The slasher side of this flick, is actually handled a lot better and even manages to throw in a twist, I did not seeing coming. So well done there. Acting is above average too and that also helps to elevate this flick a smidgen above its numerous slasher film peers.Sensibly too, whilst Totally Killer, can be graphic it dodges being gruesome, which is appropriate given its black comedy vibe. In summary, inherently watchable if you like the lighter side of horror/slasher flicks but fails to conjure enough 80's nostalgia to really make it special.