The Final Girls 2015

The film commences with a nostalgic nod to the golden age of horror, as a grainy trailer for “Camp Bloodbath”, a gruesome slasher flick reminiscent of the “Friday The 13th” franchise, unfolds on the screen. This B-movie masterpiece tells the tale of a group of hapless counselors at Camp Blue Finch, stalked and slaughtered by the enigmatic Billy Murphy (Dan B. Norris). Max Cartwright (Taissa Farmiga), the protagonist, is captivated by this retro horror show, having inherited her mother Amanda’s (Malin Akerman) fame from starring in this very film. As Amanda prepares to leave an audition, now a relic of her bygone glory days, she shares her concerns about being typecast as the star of “Camp Bloodbath”. Max listens intently, tallying up the mounting bills that await their family’s financial reckoning.

The mother-daughter duo embarks on a drive, with Max regaling Amanda with an inventory of impending expenses. As they cruise along, they tune in to the radio, which is playing Kim Carnes’ sultry hit “Bette Davis Eyes”, a personal favorite of Amanda’s. In a momentary lapse, Max accidentally spills her milkshake on Amanda’s headshot, momentarily distracting her and causing them to collide with another vehicle. The ensuing chaos sees Amanda’s car rolling across the deserted street, the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass punctuating their misadventure.

Three years later, Max finds herself living with her aunt, her best friend Gertie (Alia Shawkat) arriving to whisk her away for a study session at a local diner. Joining them is Chris (Alexander Ludwig), their friend and confidant. As they settle in, Gertie’s stepbrother Duncan (Thomas Middleditch) appears, imploring Max to attend the double feature of “Camp Bloodbath” and its sequel, “Camp Bloodbath 2: Cruel Summer”. The anniversary of Amanda’s passing hangs heavy over this invitation, prompting Max to decline. However, Duncan’s persistence eventually wears her down, convincing her to join the festivities as a special guest.

The group converges on the cinema for their double feature. Amidst the throng, they encounter Chris’s former flame and Max’s erstwhile best friend, Vicki (Nina Dobrev), whose presence proves a thorn in their sides. As they take their seats, they’re treated to the opening salvo of “Camp Bloodbath”, which plays to a packed house. For Max, this cinematic nostalgia trip is a bittersweet reminder of her mother’s bygone glory days. In the midst of the film, two rowdy patrons pass around a liquor bottle, which goes awry and rolls across the floor, spilling its contents everywhere. A careless smoker then ignites his cigarette, sending ash raining down onto the puddle of booze, setting a nearby curtain ablaze. As panic spreads throughout the theater, the audience stampedes toward the exits, blocking the way for Max and her friends.

Seizing the opportunity, Max seizes a sharp object and leads Gertie, Chris, Duncan, and Vicki through the inferno, guiding them toward the screen as it bursts into flames. In a flash of light, they burst forth from the burning cinema, plunging headlong into an uncertain future.

As the curtain opens on “Camp Bloodbath”, five friends find themselves stranded in the woods, amidst the eerie atmosphere of their own confusion. The main counselors - Kurt (Adam Devine), a buffoonish ladies’ man, and Tina (Angela Trimbur), a vacuous socialite - pass by the group, asking for directions to Camp Blue Finch. Unbeknownst to them, they’re about to drive away from their fate, as the friends linger in stunned silence. The passage of time becomes palpable as the duo disappears into the distance, leaving the five friends to wait out what feels like an eternity - a torturous 184 minutes (twice the film’s actual runtime) - before Kurt and Tina return, this time with a third counselor, Blake (Tory N. Thompson), in tow. The group meets Amanda, who’s taken on the persona of Nancy, the shy, guitar-wielding wallflower, as they pile into the van.

Their journey to Camp Blue Finch is marked by tension and unease, as Duncan tries to negotiate with Kurt for the keys to the van, hoping to find a way out of this cinematic nightmare. However, Kurt proves obstinate, flinging the keys deep into the woods, leaving the group to navigate the treacherous terrain in search of a means of escape. As they venture into the darkness, Max attempts to extricate Nancy from Kurt’s clutches, aware that her character is destined for a tragic demise at his hands - a fate sealed once she loses her virginity to him.

As the group searches for the keys, the first brutal murders take place, with Billy emerging to slaughter two randy counselors. The five friends are frozen in horror as Billy sets his sights on them, and they all flee except for Duncan, who believes he’s invulnerable to harm. But Billy has other plans, hurling his machete into Duncan’s side with deadly precision, leaving the others stunned and convinced that they have no immunity from the carnage that’s about to unfold.

As Paula (Chloe Bridges) bursts onto the camp scene, the group of friends finds themselves inexplicably drawn to her, fueled by a sense of desperation. They’ve just witnessed Billy’s brutal demise, and in their frantic attempt to prevent history from repeating itself, they decide to stick with Paula, hoping she’ll be the key to keeping the vengeful spirit at bay. But before they can even begin to formulate a plan, they’re treated to a jarring flashback to 1957, courtesy of Nancy’s vivid retelling of Billy’s tragic tale.

The black-and-white visuals transport us back in time to a summer camp where a young Billy was mercilessly bullied for his differences. Cornered and helpless, he retreats to the safety of an outhouse, only to have it set ablaze by cruel camper’s firecrackers, leaving him with a grotesque scar and a lifetime of pain. The once-maligned camper eventually emerges from his ordeal, his face hidden behind a sinister mask and machete in hand, driven by a hunger for revenge that will claim the lives of eight unsuspecting counselors over the course of eight long months.

As Paula navigates the treacherous camp terrain with her friends, they’re suddenly confronted with the graphic consequences of Billy’s brutality. A stray burst of blood spray leaves Gertie with an unsettling crimson smudge on her face, setting off a chain reaction that culminates in chaos and destruction. With tensions running high, Paula frantically attempts to escape the carnage, but not before a fateful collision with a totem pole claims Kurt’s life, his shattered bones a grim testament to the devastation that has unfolded.

As the dust settles, Max and her companions gather around the remaining survivors, their revelation sending shockwaves through the group: they’re all just characters in a movie, trapped in a never-ending cycle of violence and terror. The desperate need for a new final girl to take down Billy sparks a heated debate, with Tina’s impending fate as a striptease victim serving as a stark reminder of the horrors that lie ahead. As the search for a worthy replacement begins, Max finds herself torn between her own sense of self-preservation and the desire to see Nancy emerge victorious, not just to ensure their shared survival but also to forge a new life together beyond the confines of this twisted celluloid hell.

As the hours tick away until Billy’s anticipated arrival, the gang readies itself for the impending chaos. Vicki (Vicki) makes amends with Max and Gertie, seeking forgiveness for her past transgressions. Her apology stems from a complicated history with Max, whom she once considered a close friend before Amanda’s tragic demise. The rift that formed as a result of their falling out left Vicki feeling hurt and jealous, prompting her to reach out to Gertie instead. Max’s subsequent exclusion of Vicki only added fuel to the fire, but in this moment of contrition, the girls are willing to put aside their differences.

Meanwhile, Tina’s reckless behavior takes center stage as she becomes increasingly hyperactive due to Vicki’s prescription Adderall. Her erratic dance routine culminates in a shocking display of nudity, unwittingly summoning Billy to the cabin. As he approaches, Tina’s high-fueled frenzy gives way to panic, and she makes a hasty retreat, tripping over a loose string and becoming entangled in a bear trap.

Chris, anticipating Billy’s arrival, sets off another booby trap, triggering a swinging log that knocks Billy into the antlers adorning the cabin door. The momentum of this initial encounter is short-lived, however, as Gertie and Blake share a fleeting moment of intimacy before Billy’s unexpected resilience proves their undoing.

Blake meets his demise at Billy’s hands, prompting the remaining heroes to flee upstairs in search of a safer haven. Billy gives chase, relentless in his pursuit. In a desperate bid to even the odds, the trio unleashes a barrage of flaming arrows upon Billy’s chest, but he shrugs off the attack, countering by sending a bookcase crashing down on Vicki and Gertie. The pair lies injured as Billy raises his machete, poised to deliver the final blow.

In a stunning turn of events, Max, Nancy, and Chris make their escape, leaving Vicki and Gertie behind. Undeterred, Vicki seizes Gertie’s hand and triggers a ceiling-mounted bucket of lighter fluid, unleashing a fiery explosion that sends Billy tumbling out of the cabin window in slow motion.

The group’s brief respite from danger is short-lived, as Billy emerges from the inferno, still ablaze. Chris becomes his next victim, sacrificing his own leg to save himself and his friends. As the pace of events accelerates, Max finds solace by staying with her wounded friend Chris in an abandoned chapel, vowing not to let him succumb alone.

In a desperate bid to rescue Nancy, now Billy’s captive, Max makes her way to the barn where she hopes to find her friend. Her search ultimately leads her into a brutal showdown with the relentless Billy, resulting in her own injury. Meanwhile, Chris and Nancy reunite, only to face yet another grueling confrontation as they attempt to escape their tormentor.

In the end, it is Max who must confront Billy once more, determined to save her friends and put an end to his reign of terror.

As Nancy’s understanding of the curse deepens, she comes to a startling realization: only the final girl can deliver the fatal blow to Billy, making Max the unwitting protagonist of fate. With tears streaming down her face, Max recounts her life outside the cinematic narrative, revealing that she had always yearned to fulfill her mother’s dream of stardom. Nancy, moved by Max’s confession, offers words of encouragement and sets out to find her. However, this momentary display of solidarity is short-lived, as Nancy’s attention shifts to summoning Billy with a sultry striptease. The killer emerges, and with calculated brutality, impales Nancy with his machete. Undeterred, Max avenges her friend’s death by engaging in an intense battle with Billy, ultimately claiming victory by decapitating the killer with his own machete. As the credits roll, Chris joins Max, and they share a tender kiss as the sun rises on this gruesome tale.

The film’s final act finds Max waking up in a hospital bed beside Chris, her mind reeling from the events that have transpired. The sound of distant voices pierces the air, prompting Max to pull back the curtain and find Duncan, Gertie, and Vicki, all miraculously alive. As they struggle to comprehend their reality, they gaze out the window to behold a doctor and nurse on the verge of intimacy. But their momentary distraction is shattered when Billy bursts through the window, his presence serving as a jarring reminder that this is not the end of their ordeal. Max seizes an opportunity to exact revenge, snatching a nearby object and charging into battle once more.