Review by Cole Groth

There’s nothing quite as cool as a good time travel movie. Taking an already interesting genre — whether it be a rom-com, sci-fi, or horror film — and throwing in time travel is a great way to make something distinctive and unique. Totally Killer is a time-traveling blast that combines excellent slasher elements with solid humor to make something consistently interesting.

Nahnatchka Khan’s sophomore feature follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), your typical angsty teenage girl, who travels back to the past after a notorious serial killer makes his return by murdering her mother (Julie Bowen). While in the past, Jamie has to work with the also-angsty teenage version of her mother (Olivia Holt), all while trying to stop the first round of killings from ever happening, eliminating the killer from history.

For the amount of fun promised by the premise, it’s nice that the screenplay — written by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo — follows through on plenty of what it promises. What starts as an average slasher takes a fun turn after an unexplained time travel photo booth is brought into the mix. After being sent to 1987, Jamie struggles to adapt to the world around her. Here, the writers insert lots of social commentary about how the times have changed. Much of it is very funny, but some of it gets a little tiresome, when the writers seem a little too self-serving in their commentary. What’s not tiresome are the kills. As a slasher, this works very well. Each sequence of murder is well-choreographed and plenty of fun, with Christopher Landon vibes oozing throughout this, and I mean that to be top praise.

There are a few minor plot points that are frustrating, such as Jamie having access to a cell phone, but not using it to prove that she’s from the future. It’s always a bit funky to see how screenwriters deal with time travel, and it’s bothersome to see the main character fail to explain that she’s there to prevent a series of gruesome murders. The teenagers are pretty frustrating, but whether that’s an issue with the screenplay or something very intentionally done is a matter of debate. The CGI holds this back from being a perfect visual experience. It’s nicely shot and well-lit for the most part, but whenever CGI is implemented for sci-fi scenes or toward the climax, it’s weak.

Kiernan Shipka is a top-tier young actress who gives her all in everything she’s in. Here, she kills it as the leading lady. Along her side is Olivia Holt, who plays the snide teenage girl role perfectly. It’s great to see the roles swapped between mother and daughter, as Jamie has to baby her mother to survive the night. Like Shipka, Holt shows that she can, too, be a scream queen. The rest of the teenage cast, along with Julie Bowen, deliver stellar horror performances. Everybody gives it their all, and it’s an all-around thrilling time.

Totally Killer proves to be a delightful and entertaining addition to the time-travel genre. Nahnatchka Khan's slasher takes the intriguing concept of time travel and blends it seamlessly with elements of humor and horror, resulting in a unique and engaging cinematic experience. Shipka is a force to be reckoned with, and deserves more roles as the leading lady after this. It’s a wild ride that’s certainly worth a watch.

Totally Killer screened at the 2023 Fantastic Fest, which ran September 21-28 in Austin, Texas.

Rating: 4/5

Review by Sean Boelman

French filmmaker Michel Gondry is remembered fondly for directing movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, but he also has a few entities in his filmography that are less well-regarded. The Book of Solutions is his response to one of those “failures” in his career, urging audiences to appreciate the process as much as the art in an unexpectedly unfussy way.

The movie follows a filmmaker who, after his producers and financiers threaten to take control of the final cut of his latest work, retreats to the countryside with his crew in tow, hoping to finish the film his way. In many ways, The Book of Solutions feels cut from a similar cloth to Be Kind Rewind — another of Gondry’s odes to scrappy, DIY filmmaking.

Gondry’s latest is a subtly funny movie. The humor isn’t the type likely to have viewers rolling in their seats with laughter, but rather, having them hold a smirk on their face for the near entirety of the runtime. That being said, there is one cameo in the second act that’s so good it will get a few solid chuckles.

It’s important to realize that the film is, in many ways, a semi-autobiographical interpretation of Gondry’s own experience while making Mood Indigo. Of course, as one would expect from the filmmaker, it’s accentuated by eccentricities and surrealism in a way that allows it to have the distinct mark of its filmmaker.

The aspect of the movie that is likely to make or break most viewers’ appreciation of it is whether they are able to get on the same wavelength as the protagonist. Some may find the stand-in for Gondry himself to be conceited and insufferable, but as with much of the filmmaker’s best work, he infuses such a deep humanity into the absurdity that it’s hard not to be won over by the end.

Pierre Niney’s performance in the lead role is quite strong, capturing both the comedic and endearing aspects of the role. Although no one in the supporting cast shines particularly brightly until the third act, that plays into the film’s thematic narrative of the protagonist thinking the world revolves around him until he realizes it doesn’t. 

Compared to some of Gondry’s other work, The Book of Solutions is much tamer and less inventive on a visual level. However, there are some images that Gondry manages to create that are absolutely wonderful. The very final moments in the movie stand out as particularly whimsical in a way that will leave a lasting impact on viewers.

The Book of Solutions isn’t groundbreaking by any means, but it’s charming in its subtle humor and humanistic approach. Unlike many movies inspired by a filmmaker’s own experiences, Gondry’s feels neither too nostalgic nor blinded by rage, hitting an enjoyable sweet spot.

The Book of Solutions screened at the 2023 Fantastic Fest, which ran September 21-28 in Austin, Texas.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Cole Groth

Sleep paralysis demons are a great topic to be covered by horror, but Kjersti Helen Rasmussen’s Nightmare squabbles that topic in a film that’s neither interesting nor scary. It’s a dull mess of a movie that won’t stand a chance against the endless pool of scary films in Shudder’s library.

Mona (Elli Harboe) is a 25-year-old woman who becomes afflicted with sleep paralysis that threatens to take over her life. While her illness progresses, she becomes increasingly violent to herself and others. Her sleep paralysis demons force her to walk the line between reality and fiction, driving her deeper into insanity as the film progresses. As the nightmarish manifestations of her condition become more vivid and terrifying, Mona's grip on reality slips further, blurring the boundaries between her inner demons and the waking world.

This is a fundamentally frustrating movie. The genre of films about people (mostly women) going insane is an entirely bloated group. These movies suck because they all play out the exact same. Scary stuff happens, then nobody believes said scary stuff is happening. It’s an endless cycle that’s incredibly frustrating, and Nightmare doesn’t escape the annoyances of that. The audience is actively lied to at many points, so whenever an important plot point happens, it’s easy to write off the moment as not happening. It’s more satisfying to read a plot synopsis than it is to watch the movie.

As far as performances go, this film isn’t great. As an American who doesn’t speak any Norwegian, it’s hard to tell if the performances are that good or not, but there weren’t any moments that were too unbelievable from an acting standpoint. Elli Harboe is good at acting terrified. On the other hand, her boyfriend, played by Herman Tømmeraas, is unbelievably dull. His performance matches the dullness of his character. A few of the supporting actors are forgettable, too. Like the movie, an impression won’t be left by the acting.

The only point where this film manages to be interesting is its discussion of the issue of abortion. After Mona moves in with her boyfriend, she realizes that she’s pregnant. The baby slowly growing inside of her can be seen as a manifestation of the sleep paralysis demons, which is an interesting alley to go down. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t explore it further. It all leads to an ending that’s shocking, yet a brazenly stupid answer to questions brought up by the abortion problem.

Nightmare falls far short of its potential in exploring the intriguing concept of sleep paralysis demons. While it attempts to blur the lines between reality and horror, the film ultimately descends into a monotonous and frustrating cycle that fails to distinguish itself in a saturated genre. Though Elli Harboe's portrayal of fear manages to stay within the realm of credibility, she’s overshadowed by an annoying plot. Simply put, Nightmare is a nightmare to view.

Nightmare is now streaming on Shudder.

Rating: 1.5/5

Review by Adam Donato

Review by Daniel Lima

​Alfred Hitchock’s maxim about “the bomb under the table” — that setting up a volatile situation that could explode at any moment is more rewarding to an audience than a sudden shock that comes out of nowhere — is oft-repeated but rarely put into practice. It’s simply easier to catch people off guard with something out of left field. The directorial debut of writer-director Francis Galluppi, The Last Stop in Yuma County, is an exceedingly well-executed and tense one-location thriller, living up to Hitchcock’s tenet admirably… that is, until it doesn’t.
 
A gas station on an isolated stretch of desert highway in the early ‘70s is out of fuel, and the truck supposed to replenish it is running late. Anyone looking to replenish their vehicle is forced to wait at the local diner. This includes two men who just held up a bank. The day wears on, more people file in, and it becomes unclear if everyone will be able to make it out.
 
Almost the entire film is set at the diner and neighboring station, and it goes to great lengths to establish the geography of the space — an important part of any story rooted in one location. From early on, the camera glides through and around the locale, giving the audience a sense of where all the characters are in relation to one another. Between the deliberate blocking, framing, and mobile camerawork, by the end of the movie, anyone would be able to map out the entire place.
 
That place is lovingly brought to life through set, sound, and costume design. There is an emptiness to the diner, a sense that its best days are long behind it, the still air only disrupted by the happenstance of a late fuel delivery. Sunbeams reveal dust, the worn wallpaper and kitchen appliances reveal age, and the quiet punctuated by conversation and a whirring fan hangs heavy with heat and tension. The costumes go a long way in selling the personality of the place and the characters who populate it, with just a glance communicating who that person is, how they carry themselves, and the life they’ve let. Beyond nailing the period setting, these details make even this desolate place feel alive and distinct.

The character work is perhaps the crowning achievement of Yuma County. There are no inorganic exposition dumps explaining anyone, beyond the kind of pleasantries people caught in this situation would exchange, yet so much comes through the diction, the colloquialisms, the respect characters accord each other. The dialogue has a nuance and flair to it that requires pitch-perfect performances. The cast rises to the challenge, nailing every minute idiosyncrasy and creating the feeling that this seemingly momentous one day is merely one day in a long, storied life for everyone involved. Everyone is fantastic, from Jim Cummings’s meekly mannered traveling salesman, to Nicholas Logan’s oafish criminal, to Jocelin Donahue’s composed and quick-thinking waitress. The entire ensemble does such a good job, you can almost predict how everyone will react as events unfold after only a couple minutes spent with them.
 
All this makes the wait for that “bomb under the table” to go off incredibly harrowing. The characters are all so endearing that seeing anyone meet their end would be devastating. The cinematography efficiently sets up every wrinkle and twist in the unfolding drama, while maintaining a clarity that escapes many a seasoned filmmaker.  That the command of rhythm and pacing is every bit a match to the cinematography almost goes without saying. Yuma County accomplishes so much with its limited setting, from a first-time writer-director, that it’s hard not to be baffled while watching that first hour.
 
Unfortunately, there is a narrative shift that undermines the movie. None of the film’s merits disappear — it is still a taut and slick character-driven thriller — but the story has very little to go, long before the credits roll. The final note it ends on is confounding, feeling more like the ending of a particularly cynical short that was haphazardly tacked onto a story that had been so electric. Appropriate as it may be, it feels completely disconnected from the characters that had popped off the screen.
 
In spite of that, The Last Stop in Yuma County is a fun, effective thriller that uses its colorful ensemble and highly specific setting to great effect. That it is only the first feature film from Galluppi is shocking, and is a very auspicious start to a hopefully long career.

The Last Stop in Yuma County premiered at the 2023 Fantastic Fest, which runs September 21-28 in Austin, Texas. 

Rating: 4/5