Every now and then, a horror film comes along that keeps an audience on the edge of their seats, while at the same time making them laugh moment to moment. Good horror comedies are really hard to come by, but movies like Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Cabin In The Woods make such a big impact that it’s tough to hit such high heights. Well, I believe Tragedy Girls is one of those movies that has the ability to make you scared and laugh, while also making you root for the villains.
Tragedy Girls follows McKayla (Alexandra Shipp) and Sadie (Brianna Hildebrand), high school best friends who are obsessed with fame, social media, horror movies, and serial killers. The loveable pair want to gain stardom as serial killers, while trying to learn everything they can from a local psychopath named Lowell (Kevin Durand). They will stop at nothing to make #TragedyGirls trend on Twitter.
From the opening scene, Tragedy Girls subverts expectations from what audiences think of high school horror movies. The movie starts with a couple making out in a parked car in the middle of nowhere, while a violent serial killer lurks in the shadows waiting to make his move. As the young man leaves the car to investigate, the killer, sure enough, murders him, but all the while, the young woman, Sadie, created an elaborate trap to capture the killer with the help from McKayla. The pair then torture the killer for fun, as they attempt to start their own killing spree.
The movie is full of horror trope crumbling moments that will keep an audience amused and engaged at what will happen next. Director Tyler MacIntyre does a fine job balancing the horror aspects of Tragedy Girls, while making the movie funny and touching enough for general audiences. As its centerpiece, Alexandra Shipp and Brianna Hildebrand have great chemistry together as best friends and co-conspirators for fame through murder. And let me tell you, there are some really great kills and bloody, bloody horror in this movie.
At the end of the day, Tragedy Girls is about true friendship in the face of stardom. Alexandra Shipp and Brianna Hildebrand really make this movie worth watching. They have a great screen presence together as they brutally murder everyone who gets in there way. Hopefully, this movie finds an audience because if it doesn’t that would be the real tragedy here.
Story – B+
Acting – A-
Technical – A-
Overall – A-