Tragedy Girls invites you on a candy-coloured journey bursting with cheerleaders, glitter, hashtags, and bloody, flinch-worthy slayings.
Yep, the horror comedy genre got a Millennial makeover.
Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool) are perversely likeable BFFs obsessed with two things; each other and their ‘Tragedy Girls’ social media page dedicated to all things murder.
To bump up their online cred, the girls kidnap a serial killer, gushing “we’re your biggest fans, dude!” as he struggles against his restraints and spits out a grocery list of heinous threats against them.
Inspired, the girls gleefully go on a killing spree in their hometown with results reminiscent of something from Final Destination with a Heathers twist.
The death scenes themselves never quite hit those horror high notes, but they never sink to beige level either.
One particularly creative murder in a school workshop involving a saw to the face will make you genuinely concerned for the safety of woodworking students everywhere.
Shipp and Hildebrand are believable teen besties and nail the innocent-looking serial killer facade.
But just when you begin to feel comfortable with the casting choices along comes Josh Hutcherson and you’ll spend a good few seconds squinting at the screen; “oh my gosh- is that Peeta from The Hunger Games?”
It is, and he has a fun cameo as a motorcycle-riding, in-tune-with-his-emotions love interest.
The Diagnosis:
Tragedy Girls is bubblegum horror; you’ll enjoy it in the moment but eventually it will close it’s flavour and you’ll forget about it.
While it succeeds as a fun cautionary tale for the evils of social media, but finds the traditional high-school slasher tropes hard to shake.
Essentially, prepare yourself for #cluelesswithknives.
– Ellin Williams