The Final Girls (2015)
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A group of friends find themselves trapped inside a 1986 slasher movie and must navigate its time loop to survive.
The story
Max Cartwright is devastated when her actress mother, Amanda, is killed in a car accident while traveling to audition for a role in the cult classic slasher film 'Camp Bloodbath.' Three years later, Max attends a special double-feature screening of the movie with her friends Gertie, Chris, and the horror-obsessed Duncan. During the screening, the theater catches fire, and the group escapes by cutting a hole in the screen. They suddenly find themselves transported into the woods of the movie's setting, discovering they are trapped in a repeating time loop where they must survive the film's antagonist.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a car accident kills her mother, Amanda, Max Cartwright is joined by friends Gertie, Chris, and Duncan at a double-feature screening of 'Camp Bloodbath.' When the theater catches fire, they escape through the screen into the movie's world. They discover they are in a time loop, with a van returning every 92 minutes. They hitch a ride to the camp, posing as counselors. They realize the movie's killer, Billy Murphy, is real and will attack anyone engaging in sexual activity. After Duncan is killed, the group realizes they must save the original survivors. They decide Max, the only remaining virgin, will be the new 'Final Girl' to defeat Billy. Max bonds with Nancy, the movie's original scream queen, who reveals she is actually Max's mother in the real world. Nancy sacrifices herself to lure Billy away, allowing Max to gain the power to kill him. Max decapitates Billy with his own machete. She eventually wakes up in a hospital, only to see Billy crash through the glass as the sequel, 'Camp Bloodbath 2: Cruel Summer,' begins.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Todd Strauss-Schulson
- Writers
- M.A. Fortin · writer; Joshua John Miller · writer
- Cast and characters
- Taissa Farmiga · Max Cartwright; Malin Akerman · Amanda; Adam DeVine · Kurt; Thomas Middleditch · Duncan; Alia Shawkat · Gertie Michaels; Alexander Ludwig · Chris Briggs; Nina Dobrev · Vicki Summers; Chloe Bridges · Paula; Angela Trimbur · Tina
- Genres
- comedy horror; slasher; teen comedy
- Themes
- mother-daughter relationships; meta-commentary; survival
- Tone and mood
- humorous; heartfelt; self-reflexive
- Premise and plot tags
- time loop; meta-horror; slasher; summer camp
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the performances and atmosphere, as well as its direction, screenplay and homages to 1980s horror films.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 76% · review count: 78; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Production trivia
- The script was in part inspired by The Exorcist.; The film was required to be rated PG-13 at the studio's request.; The film has made $1.3 million through domestic DVD and Blu-ray sales.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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