"Totally Killer" is a horror time travel film that takes us straight back to 1987 through the lens of an angsty Gen-Z teenager Jamie (played by Kiernan Shipka) from 2023. The campy film takes inspiration from a plethora of '80s film references like "Back to the Future" as Jamie travels to the past to stop the gruesome and unsolved suburban murders of three teenage high school girls called the Sweet 16 Murders.
There are countless '80s Easter eggs in the 1987 John Hughes-tinged world filled with pastels, puffy sleeves, acid-washed jeans and most importantly an iconic fringe white leather jacket that Jamie wears throughout the film in its two timelines. The film's director, Nahnatchka Khan, pitched the film in an interview with Salon: "What if there was a serial killer running around in 'Back to the Future'?"
The film really plays into the nostalgia factor with its costumes and fashion sense, its commitment to Jamie joining the ranks of '80s final girls like Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and its love letter-like nods to John Hughes.
Here is a list of eight '80s references you may have missed while watching "Totally Killer."
01
"Back to the Future" parallels
Okay, so you definitely didn't miss this reference because it is one of the biggest references throughout the film. But I feel like it's worth stressing that the film really hones in on the aspect of time travel to save the fate of Jamie's mom's future which is literally the plot of "Back of the Future." Jamie herself even mentions the film to her '80s counterparts to try to plead her case that she is from the future. Of course, it doesn't work but Jamie's arc is truly about her relationship with her parents and their past and current selves.
02
The iconic white fringe vintage jacket
Jamie's vintage '80s white leather fringe jacket is a hand-me-down from her present-day mom, Pam (Julie Bowen). But costume designer Patti Henderson said in an interview with Salon that the look was always based on Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) from "Ferris Bullers Day Off." The jacket was designed by Henderson and there were multiples so that Bowen could also have a version of her '80s teen jacket. This specific jacket is a staple in '80s fashion and has even been seen in the 1987 rom-com classic starring Patrick Dempsey in "Can't Buy Me Love."
03
The Mollys vs. Molly Ringwald
The vintage fashions in "Totally Killer" are a large part of the references in this film specifically when highlighting Jamie's teen mom Pam's (Olivia Holt) clan of mean girls called The Mollys. The self-proclaimed Mollys only call themselves that because they all dress like Molly Ringwald's iconic characters from her plethora of John Hughes films like "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink" and "16 Candles." Each mean girl has a different Molly look. Costume designer Henderson said that she traveled up and down the West Coast with her buyer to find vintage pieces for all the different Molly looks. Henderson's team also recreated the legendary "Pretty in Pink" dress for one of the Mollys.
04
A pastel-colored John Hughes world
John Hughes was clearly a mega inspiration for this 1987 world. Not only is the film's lens warmer in the '80s, but the colors are softer, too. From the fashions to the high school dynamics and the defiance of parental and authority figures — all these Hughes-esque themes are heavily present in "Totally Killer." Most importantly, even though this is a horror film, it feels like it's a high school coming-of-age story which Hughes knew how to execute all too well. In '80s Hughes fashion, the film also addresses the more problematic aspects of this type of genre of film, which can sometimes be racist, sexist and homophobic.
05
The Masked Killer was inspired by Billy Idol and "Halloween" killer Michael Myers
The masked killer who massacred the 16-year-old teen girls in the past is based on images of Billy Idol more than Michael Myers. But that Michael Myers inspiration is high. Just the image of a mask can be paralleled to the "Halloween" series that stars forever final girl Jamie Lee Curtis. While the Sweet Sixteen killer's mask isn't as harrowing as Myers' — it still has the same effect if he were to lunge at you with a knife. Of course, the masked killer also parallels another '80s slasher series "Friday the 13th" which has its main killer, Jason, also adorning a terrifying mask. Director Khan said: "there were little touches here and there from "Friday the 13th" and the original "Halloween" and really sort of leaning into that."
06
"Heathers" vibes
We can't forget the massive high school cliches in "Totally Killer." It is so soaked in it that it reminded me of the campy, high-school murder satire "Heathers." In "Totally Killer" its group of high school mean girls, the Mollys are the victims of the Sweet 16 killer and some would say that they deserve it. The Mollys are truly mean, crude and selfishly absorbed in their own world that they bully anyone who doesn't fit into it. In "Heathers," a '80s Winona Ryder is friends with the mean, popular girls in school who are being picked off one by one. Sound familiar? Not only does "Totally Killer"'s high school murder vibe match "Heathers" but its dark comedy also does too.
07
Wes Craven's '80s and '90s horror influence
Another one of the inspirations for "Totally Killer" is Wes Craven's extensive work in the horror genre. Craven, one of the most important modern-day influences in horror, directed and wrote iconic films like "Nightmare on Elm Street" and the "Scream" series. I mean "Scream" is still alive and kicking and continues to be a pop culture and general public favorite slasher. While "Scream" is technically a '90s classic and not from the '80s, Jamie still mentions the rules of the franchise in "Totally Killer" which is a testament to how universal Craven's horror films have become. Khan said she was inspired by Craven, too.
08
Jamie is the '80s final girl
Jamie's character is a large nod to the countless '80 "final girls" that have come before her, such as Jamie Lee Curtis in "Halloween" or Kelly Jo Minter and Alice Johnson from "Nightmare on Elm Street" or Caroline Williams in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2." All these ladies in the '80s had one thing in common, that they stayed alive and proved to a genre so hellbent on massacring women that they are enduring, that women as a whole are enduring. Jamie has the same grit and perseverance and so does her mom Pam who had been living with the trauma of being the only survivor of the Sweet 16 murders.
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