Director Claims New Horror Movie Shamelessly Rips Off the Plot of His Hit 2015 Slasher
Director accuses upcoming horror film, Totally Killer, of shamelessly copying the plot of his acclaimed 2015 slasher, The Final Girls Controversy arises as fans eagerly await the release on October 6
Summary
Director Todd Strauss-Schulson accuses the new horror movie Totally Killer of copying his 2015 film The Final Girls on Twitter, stating, "Didn't I already make this movie?"
Both films have common elements in their plots, featuring a main character who has experienced the loss of their mother and is thrust into an alternative reality to confront a murderer.
The Final Girls achieved widespread praise for its clever use of meta-horror and horror-comedy, leaving viewers curious if Totally Killer will capture a similar vibe. Look out for its release on Prime Video on October 6.
Director Todd Strauss-Schulson has accused the new horror movie Totally Killer of plagiarizing his 2015 meta-slasher The Final Girls. Starring Kiernan Shipka from Mad Men, Totally Killer follows the story of a young woman who travels back in time to 1987 to prevent her mother's murder by a serial killer. Despite not being released yet, the film has already generated controversy due to its striking similarities to The Final Girls. Social media users who remember the 2015 film have been vocal about the resemblances, prompting Strauss-Schulson to publicly criticize Totally Killer on Twitter. In response to a post about the upcoming Prime Video release, he sarcastically asked, "Didn't I already make this movie?"
Totally Killer Sounds Very Similar To The Final Girls
The Final Girls received critical acclaim and a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score for its unique take on horror movies. It follows an orphaned heroine and her friends who find themselves trapped in a cheesy 1980s-style horror film, using their knowledge of horror tropes to their advantage. Directed by Nahnatchka Khan and written by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D'Angelo, Totally Killer has a similar premise to The Final Girls, transporting its protagonist into a new reality where they must confront a killer.
The similarities continue between the two films. Like The Final Girls, Totally Killer revolves around a protagonist who has lost their mother and is reunited with her through a reality-altering journey. In The Final Girls, Max meets her mother, who is portrayed as a Scream Queen, inside the slasher film Camp Bloodbath. In Totally Killer, Jamie, played by Shipka, encounters the teenage version of her own mother in a Back to the Future-style encounter, and she must help her mother stop the murderer.
The similarity between the tone of Totally Killer and The Final Girls is still uncertain. It remains to be seen whether the parallels extend beyond their plot similarities. Totally Killer will be available on Prime Video starting October 6, allowing viewers to assess whether it truly imitates The Final Girls.
