Tragedy Girls (Fantasia 2017)
Drew Tinnin
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Starring Brianna Hildebrand, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Hutcherson, Jack Quaid, Kevin Durand, Craig Robinson
Directed by Tyler Macintyre
Screened at Fantasia 2017
The horror comedy Tragedy Girls has been making the rounds at film fests since SXSW back in March. But now it arrives in Northern lands to be digested by hungry Canadian genre fans at Fantasia 2017. Commenting on the social media-obsessed tweener population, the deliberately snarky tone carries a torch for the dark comedy high school formula made famous by Daniel Waters in Heathers.
Already popular but not popular enough, best friends McKayla (Shipp) and Sadie (Hildebrand) use their online prowess to boost interest in their true crime tragedy reality show. The only problem is the new ratings of likes and hearts aren’t supplying fresh followers fast enough, so the twisted co-eds decide to take matters into their own hands. As the bodies pile up, so do their fans.
It’s refreshing to see Hildebrand as a sexy, diabolical blonde after witnessing her destruction as Negasonic Teenage Warhead in Deadpool. I’m not sure which character has a softer side. She’s the true star of Tragedy Girls and is definitely one to watch in the future as she heads to “The Exorcist” on Fox. The co-stars of this film, though, are undoubtedly the gore and some inspired set pieces.
Tragedy Girls doesn’t need to be as graphic as it is so I applaud the filmmakers for going the extra mile and supplying some truly outrageous kills throughout the film. It might be a film about females, but Tragedy Girls definitely has balls. The extreme nature of some of the violence adds up to several good comedic moments too as both McKayla and Sadie look on in gleeful shock at the carnage they’re creating.
Tragedy Girls is a take on modern fame and the idea that you can be famous for nothing, but these girls are determined to be famous for something. From legends in their own minds to being worshiped and adored, they get what they’ve always wanted… even if they don’t get what’s coming to them.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
