Decades ago, when people envisioned the “future of technology,” they envisioned flying cars and jetpacks, which we’re all still waiting for. What ended up actually happening, however, was a deluge of technological advancements that promoted interconnectivity amongst one another, connecting strangers more intimately than anyone had ever imagined. With the prevalence of social media increasing drastically over the last 15 years, along with it came an increase of narcissism and a detachment from reality, which we all see regularly from that one friend who only posts flawless photos of themselves on Instagram. Another drawback, as seen in Tragedy Girls, is that you murder people and then write about it on a blog to build up your follower count.

Between this and Deadpool, Brianna Hildebrand is becoming to go-to “Girl with short hair.” Great job!

When Sadie (Brianna Hildebrand) interrupts her makeout session because she hears a noise, she sends her boy toy out to investigate, resulting in his murder by a masked maniac. Sadie and McKayla (Alexandra Shipp) spring into action to tase the slasher, taking him captive. Rather than turning him in to the authorities, the girls ask for tips from the killer, as they’ve been following his string of murders and chronicling it on their “Tragedy Girls” blog. The murderer might have been stopped killing, but who says the murders should have to end? The duo begins following in the murderer’s footsteps, managing to exact their revenge on those who have wronged them while also gaining exclusive access to the gruesome details of each murder, resulting in achieving notoriety and respect from those seeking answers. As their kill count rises, will authorities discover their terrible secret before the reality of what these girls are doing tears their friendship apart? GUESS YOU’LL HAVE TO WATCH AND SEE.

Craig Robinson typically makes all movies at least 15% better.

The biggest strength of Tragedy Girls, which has many strengths, is the performances of Hildebrand and Shipp. The two young actresses manage to toe the line between being completely out of their minds and incredibly charming. The film’s plot is that of a horror movie, but much like Scream or Cabin in the Woods before it, Tragedy Girls manages to both be an installment in the genre while also mocking it with a quirky sense of humor. Much like how Tucker and Dale vs. Evil told a horror tale through a different lens, Tragedy Girls would be like if Scream was told from the perspective of the killers. And luckily, much like Tucker and Dale, two fantastic performances help sell the whole premise.

Please don’t let these quasi-Purge masks deter you! This is better than all the Purge movies!

Exploiting horror movie tropes for the sake of a “cute” movie is tacky, a trap Tragedy Girls manages to avoid. Although it doesn’t go the full-blown “Hey you thought this was a comedy but now it’s actually a real-life horror movie!” route, it dabbles with moments of suspense just enough to keep you more involved than Scary Movie and its tireless goofiness. In addition to that suspense, audiences get some awesome gore effects, with Tyler MacIntyre‘s direction showing a fearlessness to go balls-out to please bloodthirsty horror hounds. The film definitely isn’t for everyone, but Tragedy Girls is one of the first films since Detention that manages to blend humor with horror in a way that feels fresh, giving a new generation of horror fans their very own Scream.

Wolfman Moon Scale