3309. The Final Girls (2015)

Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Åkerman, Alexander Ludwig

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson

Running Time: 91 mins

The Final Girls is an American film about a girl who finds herself mysteriously in the cult ’80s slasher movie her late mother starred in, fighting for her life as a murderer stalks her and her friends.

I had so much fun with this movie. Not only is it a great parody of cult slasher flicks, but it’s also a genuinely funny comedy with clever, well-written gags and an intricate screenplay, as well as an often touching story that’s brought to life wonderfully by fantastic performances across the board.

One of the best things about The Final Girls, however, is that there are so many different ways to watch it. If you’re just looking for some easy laughs, then the film has that in bucketloads, and its fun-loving, anarchic atmosphere makes it the perfect movie to sit back and enjoy with your brain turned off.

However, if you’re looking for something more, then The Final Girls has got you covered too. Fans of cult horror will almost certainly love how the film plays on every genre trope in the book, working almost like a kind of Evil Dead II, albeit three decades later on.

That blend of fun-loving comedy and pitch-perfect genre parody makes the film an absolute feast of hilarity for viewers of all persuasions. The horror is good too, and there are even some really nicely-made action sequences that fit well with the film’s parody, but it’s the humour that really makes The Final Girls soar.

What’s more, the screenplay is fantastically imaginative and intricate to the point that there’s genuine unpredictability at play, meaning that you’re not just relying on the film’s gags for entertainment. And even when things get a little more serious, The Final Girls does a great job too.

Following the overarching story of Max (Taissa Farmiga) who lost her mother (Malin Åkerman) only to meet her again inside the movie, The Final Girls has some really touching moments that fit perfectly amongst all the silliness of the rest of the film.

Couple that with performances which live up to the movie’s comedic and emotional prowess, and The Final Girls is a film which barely puts a foot wrong. Funny, engaging, imaginative, sharp and even touching at times, it’s a heap of fun to watch from start to finish, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.8 overall.