Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Surprising mix of horror, comedy, and touching moments.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Final Girls
What's the Story?
As a teen, Max (Taissa Farmiga) loses her mother -- an actress in "B" movies (Malin Akerman) -- in a car accident. Three years later, Max is invited to attend a screening of her mother's most famous movie, the slasher film Camp Blood Bath. When a fire erupts in the theater, Max and four friends escape by cutting a hole in the screen and stepping through. Strangely, they wake up inside the movie itself, and, much to her shock and joy, Max is able to interact with her mother's fictional character, Nancy. Unfortunately, even though they know what's going to happen in the movie, the rules keep changing, and they must avoid fictional killer Bill Murphy ... or they could die in real life.
Is It Any Good?
The horror meta-movie has been done before (Scream), but this one edges past mere cleverness with a strangely touching emotional core: What would you do if you met a shadow of your lost mother? THE FINAL GIRLS starts with a genuine affection for the slasher genre, including a fake trailer for Camp Blood Bath that recalls the days of VHS video rentals. One of the characters is an uber-fan of the genre, effectively conveying the adoration that horror hounds have for the rules (and cliches) of their chosen genre.
Some of the movie-within-a-movie characters are silly, but the likable "real life" characters make up for it; naïve comments are trumped by more understanding ones. Director Todd Strauss-Schulson (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) has fun staging and re-imagining horror movie moments, including flashbacks (with raining black-and-white goop washing away the color) and onscreen titles. Yet none of it is condescending. It stays true to the people who love movies and who love life as well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Final Girls' violence. How much gore is necessary to the story? How does this movie compare to "regular" horror movies? Does the violence impact you differently because of the movie's tone?
Is the movie scary? Where does the line between horror and comedy start and stop?
Some of the women in the movie seem to have a hard time knowing when it is and isn't OK to have sex. What do you think of the way the movie deals with the topic of sex?
What's the appeal of old 1980s horror/slasher movies? Why do people enjoy them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 9, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : November 3, 2015
- Cast : Taissa Farmiga , Malin Akerman , Alexander Ludwig
- Director : Todd Strauss-Schulson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Vertical Entertainment , Stage 6 Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : horror violence, some crude and sexual material, language and drug use
- Last updated : January 13, 2025
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