The INTO Interview

Queer horror icons drive slasher comedy “Totally Killer”

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· Updated on October 9, 2023

Slasher films like Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream are staples in the horror genre. You honestly can’t discuss horror films without bringing up one of these films. For inspiration, filmmaker Nahnatchka Khan leaned on these films and their influence to drive her new slasher film, Totally Killer. 

Known for her work on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, Fresh Off the Boat, and Always Be My Maybe, Khan’s creative endeavors reside within comedy. WIth Totally Killer, Khan dives into the world of horror knives first. 

In Totally Killer, a town was shaken by the murders of three, sixteen-year-old teens in 1987 committed by the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer.” 35 years later, we meet 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), who disregards her mother’s (Julie Bowen) warning after the killer returns to claim a fourth victim. Consequently, Jamie comes face-to-face with the Sweet Sixteen Killer and accidentally travels back in time to 1987 where she now must join forces with her teenage mom (Olivia Holt) take out the killer or risk being in the past forever.

INTO spoke with Khan about her new film, her favorite slasher films, and her favorite queer horror icons.

Totally Killer is streaming now on Prime Video.

Related:

‘Bad Things’ Filmmaker Stewart Thorndike Brings Authentically Queer and Flawed Characters to Horror

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