Movie Review: The Final Girls (2015)

I'd only seen a trailer going into this.  Here's what I knew:  It's a horror/comedy about a girl who's mother passed away, but not before starring in a B horror film from the 80s.  Now, this girl and a group of her friends have been sucked into said movie on the anniversary of her mother's death!  Oh, no!!  What will happen neeeeeext....?  In case you don't know, the final girl is the last girl to survive in a horror movie.  She's generally the one to spread the legend about whatever killer was hunting her friends.  Think Sydney from the Scream series or Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

In this movie, you get two wildly different types of characters: modern young adults who are of the Breakfast Club variety and cheesy actors in an 80s movie who don't know that they're in a movie.  The Final Girls is compelling because with all of that self-aware humor right in your face, there's an underlying sincerity with the recently orphaned daughter whenever she interacts with the character her mom played.  It takes a lot of influence from the Friday the 13th films.  If you have sex, show boobs or look like you might be about to do those things, you get ganked.  Them's the rules.  The people in the movie don't know that and it's fun to watch the modern kids convince them they're right.  Also, flashbacks.  The flashbacks are just genius.  You'll see.

What else should you watch for?  Aside from the obvious nods to classic slasher movies and the times this movie will actually make you laugh out loud, watch it because it's fun to watch.  The bunch of comedy actors they threw together is also brilliant.  You may not know their names, but you'll recognize them, for sure.  It's a silly homage that wants you not to think to hard, but just to be entertained.  I think it succeeded.

MEMORABLE SCENE:
Oh, it was the Adderall scene.  Followed closely by the dance scene.


QUOTE:
Duncan: "Ever since I was a little boy, I've dreamed of being the final girl.

RATING:
This movie was a blast and it goes up there with others of it's kind like Club Dread or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.  If you liked movies like that, definitely give this one a go.  8 out of 10.