2017
10.17

Screamfest 2017: ‘Tragedy Girls’ Review!

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Stylish and satirical with a little bit of sexy, Tragedy Girls serves up a stew of flavorful bits and pieces seasoned with a dash of Heathers, Clueless, and Scream. The result is an attractive dish worthy of an Instagram post and sure to score many likes.

Brianna Hildebrand, best known for her turns in the Deadpool franchise and Fox TV’s exceptional “Exorcist” reboot, and Alexandra Shipp, Storm in Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse, star as Sadie and McKayla — best friends and high school seniors desperate to increase the social media following for their true crime site, Tragedy Girls.

The pair recognize an opportunity to do just that when a serial killer, played by “LOST” heavy Kevin Durand, arrives in their small Midwestern town. Sadie lures the murderous sociopath into a trap with the hopes of recruiting his homicidal talents to scoop local news and go viral.

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When the madman refuses, the girls decide to take matters into their own hands, initiating a ridiculously clumsy killing spree while making it look like the work of the serial killer — now tied up and held captive by the duo. They kill McKayla’s too-cool-for-school boyfriend because he’s more followers on social media than they do.

As hilarious as it is to watch Sadie attempt to find his heart to stab, only to keep striking bone and prolonging his torment, it pales in comparison to their savage murder of their school’s cheer-leading captain, who they dismember in the school’s gym to ensure it gets sensationalized on the news.

Fire chief and town Lothario, “Big Al,” played with gusto by comedic actor Craig Robinson, vows to find the killer and quickly becomes Sadie and McKayla’s next target. Not one to go down easy, unless it’s on sexy teacher Nicky Whelan, he fights back against the girls in a gruesome scuffle that does not end well for the big guy.

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In addition to the girls’ murderous learning curb, Sadie falls for the sheriff’s son, who eventually suspects McKayla as the town’s serial killer — leading to a standoff at prom between he and Sadie and McKayla and the real serial killer, who’s escaped and aligned with the vicious mean girl.

Helmed by Tyler MacIntyre (Patchwork) from a script he co-wrote with Chris Lee Hill (Patchwork), Tragedy Girls is tremendous fun penned with bite and shot with frantic, colorful flair. If there’s one downside, it’s the absence of Durand’s killer throughout most of the film. Would have been nice to see him do some damage and present a real challenge to the girls. Nonetheless, Tragedy Girls kills it!

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