Totally Killer is a 2023 American slasher comedy film directed by Nahnatchka Khan from a screenplay by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo, based on a screen story by Matalon and Perl-Raver. It was produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television and by Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath’s Divide/Conquer, and stars Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, and Randall Park.
The story follows 17-year-old Jamie Hughes (Shipka), daughter of Pam — one of the survivors of a masked killer’s original Halloween rampage back in 1987. Thirty-five years later, on Halloween night 2023, the “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns and kills Pam. Fleeing the killer herself, Jamie stumbles into a homemade time machine that flings her back to 1987, where she teams up with a teenage Pam to stop the killer before he can claim any victims and change her mother’s fate for good.
Totally Killer premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 28, 2023, and released on Amazon Prime Video on October 6, 2023.
The supporting cast includes Charlie Gillespie as Blake, Jamie’s crush in 1987, plus Lochlyn Munro, Liana Liberato, Kelcey Mawema, and Stephi Chin-Salvo as the teenage versions of Pam’s 1987 friend group. Critics generally praised Kiernan Shipka’s performance and the film’s affectionate parody of ’80s slasher tropes — Variety called her “a Gen-Z scream queen” in its review — while noting the film leans more comedy than horror.
Quick Facts
| Title | Totally Killer (2023) |
| Genre | Slasher comedy / time-travel horror |
| Director | Nahnatchka Khan |
| Writers | David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, Jen D’Angelo |
| Score Composer | Michael Andrews |
| Music Supervisor | Toko Nagata |
| Starring | Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, Randall Park |
| Release Date | October 6, 2023 (Amazon Prime Video) |
| Where to Watch | Amazon Prime Video |
Totally Killer Trailer
Featured Song: “The World Is Ours”
Birdsnest International released “The World Is Ours,” an original song written by Brennan Aerts for the slasher comedy and performed by The Werewolves. The track is available in two versions — the original and an “Emo Version” — both on Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Score & Composer
The original score for Totally Killer was composed by Michael Andrews, the composer behind Donnie Darko, Bridesmaids, and Freaks and Geeks. Toko Nagata served as music supervisor, curating the film’s mix of vintage 1980s needle-drops alongside Andrews’ score, which leans into synth textures to underline both the film’s horror beats and its time-travel comedy.
Additional Songs Featured in Totally Killer
- The World Is Ours – The Werewolves
- Vague Flesh – Taleen Kalie
- Venus – Bananarama
- Hearts Don’t Break – Lizzie Borden & The Axes
- He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not – Bob Crawford
- Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
- Lady in Red – Chris de Burgh
- Say You’re the Only One – Sierra
- Under Control – Brian Carr
- Let the Music Play – Shannon
- The Killing Moon – Echo & The Bunnymen
- Little Bit O’ Soul – The Linda Lindas
The soundtrack songs and score are available on Amazon Music, where you can stream the full mix of licensed songs alongside Michael Andrews’ original score. (External link: Totally Killer)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Totally Killer score?
Michael Andrews, known for scoring Donnie Darko, composed the original score. Toko Nagata served as music supervisor, selecting the film’s licensed 1980s songs.
What is the original song in Totally Killer?
“The World Is Ours,” written by Brennan Aerts and performed by The Werewolves, was released as an original song for the film in both a standard and an “Emo Version.”
Where can I watch Totally Killer?
Totally Killer is an Amazon Original movie streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, where it has been available since October 6, 2023.
Is Totally Killer related to the video game Killer Frequency?
No. It’s a common mix-up since both are 2023 releases built around a masked killer terrorizing a small town in 1987, but Totally Killer is Nahnatchka Khan’s Amazon Prime Video film starring Kiernan Shipka, while Killer Frequency is an unrelated horror-comedy video game from Team17.
Is Totally Killer based on a true story?
No, it’s a fictional horror-comedy. It affectionately parodies classic slasher franchises from the 1980s while following its own time-travel plot.
Related reading: Movie Soundtrack hub, Prime Video streaming guide, and Streaming hub.