Nahnatcha Khan’s Totally Killer is exactly what you think it is: 1985’s Back to the Future mixed with an 80’s slasher film. It combines the best of both genres to create a fun and exciting sci-fi/horror/comedy experience. 

The ludicrous plot follows young girl named Jamie (Kieman Shipka) living in a small town that’s known for a horrific murder spree 35 years ago. The killer was nicknamed the “Sweet Sixteen Killer”. Jamie lives with her dad Blake (Lochlyn Munro) and her overprotective mother (Julie Bowen) who are still traumatized by the original murders and believe the Sweet Sixteen Killer may return someday.  

After there’s another murder in this quiet town, authorities believe the Sweet Sixteen Killer has returned. Walking home one night, Jamie is attacked by the killer and finds herself in the homemade time machine her best friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema) has been working on. Jamie mistakenly turns on the time machine and is sent back to 1987, a day before the first Sweet Sixteen murder.  

Since Jamie can’t go to the police for help (she tries but fails), she teams up with her teenage mom (played by Olivia Holt) to save the Sweet Sixteen Killer victims before they’re murdered. She also teams with her best friend’s mom Lauren (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson) – she’s the only one who will believe her time travel story and help her travel back to 2023.  

On top of the time travel craziness, Jamie is trying to adjust to the 1980’s. She’s learns very quickly that it was a different time and the adults in her life were different people. She’s also dealing with relentless bullying, a general lack of safety, and an intense dodge ball game. One of the best running jokes is Jamie trying to make sure her parents still meet and fall in love (very Back to the Future).  

The plot follows most slasher films in the 80’s – as the killer takes out students one-by-one, it beings to narrow down who the potential suspects. The film does a great job of hiding who the true killer is until the third act. The story really succeeds at being a good slasher story that uses time travel and sci-fi to enhance the plot and also give audiences some really inventive kills.  

We’ve seen films like this before – the first one that comes to mind is 2015’s The Final Girls. What makes Totally Killer different is the story being fully committed to what it is. Just like The Final Girls is committed to spoofing 80’s slasher films (mostly because they’re literally trapped in a film), Totally Killer is committed to be a time travel horror film. The screenplay never tries to explain anything that’s happening, the time travel, or how it works. Within the first 10 minutes, film builds a world where you believe what you’re seeing, and all the characters feel like they’d exists in a town like this.  

The most important part of the film is how fun it is. It’s fun watching Jamie reference things in the future that people in the 80’s are clueless about. There are a lot of very funny scenes that really work and guaranteed to get some laughs.

Totally Killer is one of the most entertaining horror films this year. It’s hilarious and even absurd at times. It isn’t a straight up horror film audiences expect from Blumhouse: this is about 75% comedy/sci-fi and 25% horror. It’s perfectly measured to provide audiences the laughs and screams they’re looking for. Totally Killer is the perfect movie to introduce new fans to horror.  

Grade: B+