I know I keep writing how horror/comedies are pretty rare but as it turns out, there’s a shitload of them. The Final Girls is another movie in this genre, joining Tucker And Dale Vs Evil, Shaun of the Dead, and many more. I guess that it’s most similar to The Babysitter and Freaky. Both of these movies are poking fun at the eighties horror movies with great care and I have to say, style. You could say that this movie actually started the trend as it was first released. It features well-developed and likable characters played by a great cast.
I loved Malin Akerman here and Taissa Farmiga, Vera’s younger sister, showed us that we should keep an eye on her in the future. With its original take on the slasher genre, this is a refreshing experience. Especially if you like those bad slashers from the eighties. You know the ones I’m talking about. On the other hand, The Final Girls feels more like an exploration of the genre than an homage. The script is well-written and funny, with a lot of cool lines.
I also loved the focus on the mother-daughter relationship that felt natural and not forced. Actually, Joshua John Miller wrote the movie as a way of dealing with his father’s death. And his father was none other than Jason Miller, who had starred as Father Karras in The Exorcist. You can feel this honesty and emotional connection through all the humor. I would also like to mention the appealing visual style with lots of vibrant and saturated colors making the movie real easy on the eyes.
It has been three years since her mother’s death and Max Cartwright is trying to continue her life. She decides to honor her memory by seeing a cult slasher movie that she starred in. Max and her friends are all fans of the movie but the thing that happens next is beyond their wildest dreams. Just imagine if you could be transported into a movie. Sounds cool right…
The Final Girls does not take itself too seriously and this is the reason why the movie works. The mixture of wacky situations, eighties atmosphere, and clichés creates a very good atmosphere and keeps you engaged. Deconstruction of the classic slasher plot and characters also provides loads of fun. The only problem is that this movie does not contain those incredibly bloody and even perverse death scenes from the original movies.
Gore and nudity were the trademarks of the good eighties slasher and they cannot be found in abundant quantities here. Something stemming from the decision to force the PG-13 rating for unknown (profits) reasons. Come to think about it, this is a pretty graphic movie for that rating. Strange…Luckily, this was compensated with humor and the movie feels more like a parody than an actual movie. Finally, I felt that the main plot twist is a bit too familiar and cheesy. But that’s just a minor complaint compared to the loads of fun this movie offers.
So, this is how strange The Final Girls is, but goddammit we love strange here at Subversive Rabbit. So be sure to check it out and to all those movie recommendations I would like to add one more: The Cabin in The Woods. And while I still can, I can’t help but mention American Horror Story: 1984, another exploration of the slasher subgenre.
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Writer: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Thomas Middleditch, Adam DeVine
Fun Facts: Angela Trimbur improvised her entire dance sequence. She slammed energy drinks to get in character and worked herself up for the frantic dance.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2118624/
