Review: The Final Girls (2015)

Stars: Malin Åkerman, Adam DeVine, Alia Shawkat

Budget: $4.5 million

Directed By: Tod Strauss-Schulson

Wow what can I say I went into this film with certain expectations that just weren't met.....
In the most fantastic way ever!

Watching what I thought would be a bad parody of horror films like Halloween and Friday the 13th in the same vein as say Date Movie I was, and gladly might I add let down.

This was because I was instead treated to a fantastically meta, self aware film that was the right blend of tongue in cheek with some amazingly dramatic performances. The Final Girls has comedy and yes it parodies schlock 80s slasher flicks yet does so with a brilliantly bold story at it core. Not only that the performances by some reasonably familiar faces like Malin and Alia make this a great hidden gem. By the end of this movie I literally had a lump in my throat with sadness. There's flaws and sometimes some jokes or scenes don't 100% hit home but it does 90% of the time in an almost unbroken chain. So enough praise let's get on with what happens in the movie.

We are treated to a trailer of some old slasher film from the 80's called Camp Bloodbath, then back in the present Max daughter of Malins character Amanda is waiting in the car. Amanda was one of the stars of the movie and people still occasionally recognize her, mainly because the movie like films it takes the fun out off was and still is a b-movie classic. They do seem to get along reasonably well though despite some squabbling in the car.
Max is clearly distraught over some bills and tries to talk to her mother over them, though something that's not explained seems to be troubling Amanda to the point that she doesn't care about them. I definitely seen some hidden meaning here, maybe she was terminally ill? Unfortunately we see that pan out as the are involved in a car crash.

Cut to three years later Amanda died in the crash and Max seems to miss her an awful lot, she's also not doing well in school/college. Max is chatting to her friend Gertie (Shawkat) when Gerties brother Duncan asks her to come be a guest speaker at the showing of her mothers film.
She initially declines but with her failing marks Duncan offer to help her write some papers up for her for the whole year. Gertie also thinks a boy that keeps talking to Max called fancies her, especially since he hasn't long finished with Vicki an older ex friend of Max's.

She agrees and later that day they show up to the viewing, in a strange course of events (i think taking the piss out of each type of annoying idiot you can encounter in the cinema) the cinema catches fire.
In an effort to escape, the five-some pick up a dropped machete, don't ask me where it came from it just seems to materialize and drop to the ground. They then proceed to cut a hole into the cinema screen to escape through it.

Suddenly sucked into the movie world, though it seems to take them a little while to realise whats going on. The get taken along for the running time of the movie. Duncan suggests they just let the film run it's course but stay with the movies heroine so they can get back out of the movie.
Unfortunately this all goes ass backwards when the other start interfering in the films plot line. This end up getting one of them killed, Duncan who stupidly interacts with 'Billy' the films Jason style killer. Everything you can think of from flashbacks to comedic parodies happens in this film from here on out following all the usual tropes.
You act like a dick, you get killed.
You act slutty or have sex, you get killed.
Your not a virgin, you get killed.
Your an idiot, you get killed.
Throughout this part of movie Max and her mothers counterpart start to get along well like they used to. Only she is one of the people who dies in the movie, Max tries her hardest to stop this happening with some very heartfelt efforts.

This movie somehow evolves past a parody to become its own slasher flick, to a film with parodying elements and a very self aware plot. IT ultimately pulls on the heart strings when Max and even her mothers character realise near the end that the final slasher movie rule has to take effect.
There has to be one FINAL GIRL to take care of the killer, I'm not joking i got a lump in my throat and was close to tears at this point because they had built such a believable bond that you almost thought they might break the rule. Unfortunately not. Now there's more to it, a lot more but its all wrapped up in the ending that I just don't want to spoil any further.

So THN went into this with low expectations, these were soon elevated beyond normal movie, or B-movie  standards to something surprisingly well written and acted. In no means as good or cult worthy as it's original material (though i do believe it could reach cult status easy if more people see it) it's certainly worth a high 4 out of five stars from the horror master, with a heavy recommendation to sit down with some snacks and watch this thing!