Nahnatchka Khan‘s Totally Killer borrows from several iconic films such as Back to the Future and Scream to create something really fun.

It’s been 35 years since the “Sweet Sixteen Killer”, a mask-wearing killer, has haunted the smalltown of Vernon. 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) has an overprotective mother (Julie Bowen), but it’s understandable, as she is a survivor of these attacks. Unfortunately, Jamie ends up coming face to face with the killer, and unintentionally travels back in time, meeting with the killer’s victims before they’re killed.

Totally Killer never hides its references, even directly mentioning them throughout the film. Its self-awareness adds to the fun without feeling cringey. Some of the best comedic moments dealt with Jamie’s culture clash coming from 2023 into the 80s. There were several laugh-out-loud moments throughout. However, comedy definitely outweighs horror, but I don’t think the film really wanted to be scary, which is evident from the killer’s mask.

All of the cast were great. While Kiernan’s character Jamie was the most serious, she still adds a lot of comedic relief, especially when she’s back in 1987. I’m a huge fan of Modern Family, so I was really excited to see Julie Bowen who plays Pam, Jamie’s mom. Every actor in the film really added to the comedy.

The writers (David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver and Jen D’Angelo) did a great job making a fun whodunit, as the reveals honestly came as a surprise. I also enjoyed the comedic acknowledgement of the 80’s problematic nature, while not coming across as preachy. While I think it could have improved visually and amped up the scares, Totally Killer makes up for it with plenty of laughs. It’s perfect for the spooky season.

We give Totally Killer a 4/5.

Totally Killer made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and will release globally on Prime Video October 6.