The combination of
horror and comedy is always a volatile recipe, and the failure to mix
those ingredients just right can often result in disaster. But every
once in awhile, a film comes along that manages to stumble upon the
secret formula for success, with Cabin in the Woods being the most
recent example. Now, three years after that film blew the roof off the
Paramount Theater at the SXSW Film Festival, we have another SXSW debut
that premiered to a cacophonous ovation: director Todd
Strauss-Schulson's The Final Girls.
Max Cartwright (Taissa
Farmiga) is struggling with loss after the tragic death of her mother,
80s slasher flick icon Amanda Cartwright (Malin Akerman). When she
attends an anniversary screening of her mom's landmark film, Camp
Bloodbath, a freak accident transports Max and her friends (Alia
Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Thomas Middleditch and Nina Dobrev) into the
film itself, where they're forced to abide by the rules of the movie's
narrative in an attempt to survive.
Of course, everyone knows
that anyone who has sex in an 80s horror film is bound to be butchered
shortly after, so Max finds herself in the awkward position of trying to
convince her mother's character not to sleep with the cocky, swaggering
Kurt (Adam Devine), whose dialogue is almost entirely made up of sexual
innuendo. Meanwhile, the attractive but vapid Tina (Angela Trimbur) is
constantly trying to disrobe, which is a big no-no in this film, since a
pair of bare breasts will bring the masked killer and his machete
running.
Fans of the Friday the 13th or Sleepaway Camp series
will find plenty to love here as the film gleefully pokes fun at genre
tropes, and much of the fun comes from the fact that Max and her friends
aren't just living in the world of the film - they're living in the
actual film, complete with voiceovers, on screen credits, and
flashbacks. There are so many hilarious moments that the film
practically begs for repeated viewings, as audiences are bound to be
laughing so hard that they'll miss some of the rapid-fire humor.
There
are a few times when The Final Girls gets a little too stylish, such as
poorly rendered early scene that involves a bottle of vodka rolling
across the floor of a crowded theater, and there are a few moments where
the film seems to forsake its own rules in favor of an extra laugh. But
these are minor complaints, and the audience at the Paramount Theater
certainly didn't allow these nitpicks to detract from the overall
experience. The Final Girls is an immensely fun experience that finds a
great balance between being a spoof of the genre, and a love letter to
its absurdity.
