COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN: DAY 8-“THE FINAL GIRLS”

I SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN; “THE FINAL GIRLS” IS THE MOST ADORABLE SLASHER FILM EVER MADE!

Article by Adam Mast

In honor of the witching season, we’ll profile a new Halloween-centric title every day throughout the month of October.  

THE FINAL GIRLS (PG-13)-2015

After careful consideration and a little back and forth, I’ve come to the conclusion that THE FINAL GIRLS was my favorite film at The Stanley Film Festival earlier this year. And I’m not just saying that because Sony Pictures was kind enough to quote me in the badass trailer above. We at Cinemast.net were proclaiming our love for this movie well before the trailer dropped.

To say this film was my favorite picture at this wonderful fest is a big deal too, because there were a handful of really great horror films on display at the Stanley this year. Stranger still is the notion that this picture is PG-13! To the bonafide horror junkies out there, don’t let the mild rating sway you from seeing this terrific movie, because you’d be cheating yourself out of one of the most entertaining cinematic experiences of the year. THE FINAL GIRLS opens on Friday, October 9th, and I can only hope that Sony Pictures services it out to a respectable number of screens in the U.S. because it deserves to be seen, especially during the month of October. If it doesn’t open in your neck of the woods, make sure you demand it come to your city.

One doesn’t generally use the words “affectionate” and “adorable” when describing a slasher flick, but then, director Todd Strauss-Schulson’s wonderfully creative THE FINAL GIRLS isn’t  a conventional work of horror. This love letter to the likes of Jason Voorhees briskly cruises along by way of a meta vibe that recalls CABIN IN THE WOODS.  In fact, this flick is so meta in the way that it plays with and deconstructs specific genre tropes that another appropriate title for this wildly entertaining movie might have been THE LAST SLASHER HERO.

In THE FINAL GIRLS, teen Max Cartwright (played by Taissa Farmiga) struggles to cope with the tragic and untimely death of her loving mother, Amanda (played by Malin Akerman), an ’80s scream queen primarily known for her work in a popular slasher film called CAMP BLOODBATH.  Through a strange, fantastical phenomenon, Max and her high school pals find themselves magically transported into the CAMP BLOODBATH universe where ultimately, the grieving teen must team with the character played by her own mom in an effort to defeat a psychopath hell bent on murdering anyone he comes into contact with. Yes, this is essentially a mother/daughter story, but with quite an innovative twist.

What a joy THE FINAL GIRLS is. Some might be quick to suggest that perhaps this flick is a little too cute and clever for its own good, but the truth is, the key to its overall success is its sheer likability. What really separates THE FINAL GIRLS from a lot of the films it’s skewering is that it gives us characters truly worth caring about. Akerman is fantastic in this movie, exuding warmth and charm in a big way. This very well could be a career best for her. As Amanda’s daughter Max, Farmiga (the real life sister of Vera Farmiga) is a natural. She’s vulnerable, sweet, and tough in equal measure. Together, Akerman and Farmiga’s mother/daughter bond feels incredibly genuine. So genuine in fact, that the end of THE FINAL GIRLS is far more emotionally satisfying than I thought possible for a film of this nature.

While Akerman and Farmiga are the glue that hold this flick together, they are assisted by a terrific supporting cast. The standouts are Adam DeVine as an ego-maniacal lady’s man and a positively hilarious—and gorgeous—Angela Trimbur as the token slutty camp counselor (her hyped up dance sequence is among this film’s many notable highlights).

If there’s a complaint here, it’s that THE FINAL GIRLS could have been a little longer. The film has great pacing and never outstays its welcome, but had it been just a tad longer, allowing Max and Amanda’s CAMP BLOODBATH character a little more time to bond in the movie universe, THE FINAL GIRLS would have emerged as an instant classic. As it stands though, it’s pretty damn terrific.

With its imaginative deconstruction and endless winks at the numerous films that inspired it, THE FINAL GIRLS is sure to appeal to fans of slasher movies, but there’s so much heart, warmth, humor, and playfulness here, that even if this genre isn’t you’re bag, you too are likely to succumb to its many charms.

Once again, THE FINAL GIRLS slashes and charms its way into theaters on October 9th, 2015.

COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN:

October 7th-“Something Wicked This Way Comes”–Click Here
October 6th- “We Are Still Here”–Click Here
October 5th-“Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn”–Click Here
October 4th- “Phantom of the Paradise“-Click Here
October 3rd-“Poltergeist“-Click Here
October 2nd-“The Babadook“-Click Here
October 1st-“John Carpenter’s The Thing“-Click Here

About Author

Adam Mast

Adam Mast has been a lifelong film enthusiast dating back to age 6 when his parents took him to see a little movie called JAWS at a drive-in theater in Northern California. This would lead him to several writing stints for various publications and outlets. Mast would also have a hand in several film projects of various shapes and sizes. In 2014, Mast would join forces with colleague John Pugh to create Cinemast.net as a means discuss film from a fan and analytical perspective. Together, Mast and Pugh would also create the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah (FMASU) in 2017. FMASU’s mission is to encourage, inspire and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history. Adam currently resides in southern Utah with his amazing wife, Tonja, and their four wonderful children.

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