The Final Girls is the latest film in
what seems to be a nostalgic era in horror as the style of the
1970's, and more so the 1980's, are influencing a lot of new
releases. The Final Girls offers a brilliant twist on the new
throwback theme when a young woman named Max (Taissa Farmiga) is
grieving the loss of her former 1980's scream queen mother Amanda
(Malin Akerman) and gets mysteriously pulled inside the world of her
mothers most famous slasher, Camp Bloodbath! Together with her
friends and reunited with her mother from the movie, the group must
fight the films maniac killer!
From the very opening scene through the
closing credits this film is everything I was hoping it would be:
fun, fast paced, funny, touching, inventive, and just a damn good
time! The way it mixes the modern group of friends with the carefree,
1980's camp counselors from Camp Bloodbath is both hysterical and
satisfying. The conversations and interactions between the groups
works on two levels: one being the modern teens and the teens from 30
years ago, and the other is the movie watchers and the actors in the
movie. Watching the two groups work together to stop the killer is
fascinating as they both offer know how of the world of the film in
different ways and play with horror tropes that leads to a brilliant
chemistry amongst the entire cast. The actors work so well together
here in their meta situation that you actually feel like a part of
the group, you're invested in these people and the events that take
place.
The heart and soul of the film lays in
the relationship between Max and her mother Amand (her character name
is Nancy in the Camp Bloodbath movie). Taissa Farmiga and Malin
Akerman work remarkably well together and share several captivating
moments. Akerman will steal your heart in the first 5 minutes and
Farmiga's promising career is turning into a stellar body of work.
Other standout performances in the film are Adam DeVine as a sex
obsessed jock type and Angela Trimbur who is freaking hilarious. I'll
never listen to Cherry Pie by Warrant the same way again!
The Final Girls also offers some real
deaths within Camp Bloodbath and utilizes the most clever use of
flashback I've ever seen as they explain the back-story of the
killer. The final act of the film has some beautifully shot scenes
and sequences on display. One such sequence is a chase scene that had
me watching with a big mesmerized smile on my face. The 1980's
inspired score infused with modern sound is the cherry on top of this
awesome movie.
The Final Girls is an example of
everything coming together on a film and catching lightning in a
bottle, it's that good. You don't have to be a fan of horror or
slasher films to enjoy The Final Girls, you just have to be a fan of
great movies. Of course, being a fan of horror just makes it that
much sweeter. This is an absolute must watch.
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