You Might Be the Killer (2018)

 Another self aware slasher film where the tropes are identified and discussed in great length and even labeled on screen such as "Number of Dead Counselors: Alot". The direction, writing, and performances all tell us slasher fans to appreciate it for its sense of humor and cleverness towards poking fun at all the summer camp slasher cliches. And I'm not a fuddy-duddy. I can appreciate a slasher film that doesn't take itself seriously. But the genre sure has plenty of these horror comedies in the can now. I plan to start up the "Scream" film series in a couple of weeks, so perhaps the timing of You Might Be the Killer (2018) was on point, but 1996 was 24 years ago. And there was "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" in 2006, fourteen years ago. So that sort of slasher comedy formula has been around a bit. "You Might Be the Killer" goes forwards and backwards in time as Fran Kranz (the stoner archetype in "The Cabin in the Woods", which is itself 9 years old now!), his face covered in blood, calls up his good buddy, "Chuck" (Alyson Hannigan), who works at a comic book/pop culture/video game store. Chuck (or Charlotte) tries to be the voice of sanity as Fran really lays on quite a back story and current events (while talking to her, there are still counselors pursuing him since he admits to being compelled to kills thanks to a "cursed woodcarver mask") to her across the phone (she tends to customers even, who overhear the rather outrageous, blood-soaked conversation), while she talks him through all the bizarre, supernatural occurrences that spiral the summer camp trip out of control. Fran has a campfire story about how the curse derived from witchcraft brought to the land, and the mask created that contains evil. And sure enough, one of the counselors find the mask as Fran follows behind, warning her to leave well enough alone. Instead she digs it up, pressed the mask into Fran's face, and it possesses him to kill. And, much like Jason's voice telling Mommy to kill in "Friday the 13th", the mask beckons Fran to do so, with him seemingly unable to fend off the curse.

The film does toy with the "final girl" trope, how Jamie (Jenna Harvey) actually might have the characteristics but ultimately turns out to be a serious threat to those outside the camp. Brittany Hall's Imani is Fran's Sam's love interest who thought more of him as a summer fling while he considered their relationship a bit more serious. That Imani looked far more convincing as a likelihood to survive than Jamie, only to talk too much shit instead of acting on her belief, finding the bad end of a shovel is a rather startling bit of violence, considering the final girl typically doesn't attack a fellow counselor. Granted, Imani was asking for it since she was about to attack Jamie, but at least the formula was toyed with a bit. That Sam doesn't anticipate Jamie might be drawn to the mask once he gave it over for her to bury it, paying heavy for it, also reimagines the final girl trope. And, quite frankly, anything new like that helps shake things up because slashers rarely alter course from the routine except with a change here or there. This film, at least, proposes that the final girl doesn't vanquish evil as much as become involved in it thanks to how the mask just changes ownership. 

Hannigan never leaves the store, almost always "Ms. Exposition", having to deliver bad news to Sam about how he will end up dead while Jamie will inevitably defeat him because that's how horror films almost always end. Hannigan's Chuck even tells Imani she's doomed because she didn't fit the archetype Jamie does. There's lots of acknowledging what happens in slashers, the development of the genre formula, the body count (there's a "constant reminder clock" that keeps up with the victim count on screen), and how the plot is supposed to play out to an almost expected certainty. Hannigan is very well cast, extremely likable (if you love her work in the likes of "Buffy" and "American Pie", I'm sure she will appeal to you here, as well), and often a showcase even if she remains around a clerk phone and cash register, with a few walks around the store. I did like that there were customers offering remarks while eavesdropping on her. 

Now the gore: a head is split open, the jawbone-handled curved blade beheads another victim, and the stabbings to torsos is a constant. Fran in the killer mask does use a refrigerator door to smash a head, drowns another in the lake, but mostly it is stabbing bodies when not hacking off limbs or disemboweling a hanging victim. This is very much a slasher film with the sound design reflecting blade destroying flesh and body parts. I think self aware slashers could be very obnoxious to certain fans who want the presentation and plot to be more vicious, horrifying, and serious...those who feel that way might want to avoid "You Might Be the Killer". 

Yes, the ending with "undead counselor" calling up Chuck was just a bit much, but a mask possessing those near it to kill, even speaking to whoever is, and even pulling the person's face towards it with some sort of physical force so that conclusion can't be balked at too much considering the entire film is bonkers. I can't say I liked this as much as "The Final Girls", because I just think that self aware, supernatural slasher horror comedy was so well made and special, but "You Might Be the Killer" wasn't boring. It kept my attention and Fran and Hannigan enliven their scenes accordingly. I think the film's decision not to showcase a final girl of any charisma could be seen as detrimental, because this is all about Fran and Hannigan...they are of whom the film is dedicated to. 2.5/5