[FANTASTIC FEST 2018] ‘YOU MIGHT BE THE KILLER’ Review

Fantastic Fest may be over but we are wrapping up our (remote) coverage for it. One film that stood out to me in the film lineup was a new film called You Might Be The Killer. Something struck a synapse in my brain that made me think this sounded familiar and sure enough, it was. The film, which stars Alyson Hannigan and Fran Kranz, was based on the viral Twitter thread that was had between Sam Sykes and Chuck Wendig last summer. If you haven’t read it, you may want to hold out to make sure you give this film the maximum potential.

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The film plays with the typical tropes of a summer camp slasher film as Fran Kranz’s character, Sam, is running away to find shelter and a hiding spot from a crazed-masked maniac who is still looking for a few notches on their murder spree. Once Sam finds some alone time, he calls his horror movie-loving friend, Chuck (played by Hannigan) for advice on how to survive the night and see daylight again. After Chuck assesses the situation that Sam is in, she observes some inconsistencies with Sam’s telling of the current body count. As the title suggests, Chuck wonders and asks Sam if he may be the killer.

If you have read the tweet, the film does embellish a bit on it for the purpose of actually having a film but for the most part, it is the joke found in that Twitter thread played out on screen. Fran Kranz plays Sam to perfection – in fact, it may even remind you of Cabin in the Woods, which is where most horror fans saw him. He bumbles around trying to figure out what is happening and it is a lot of fun to watch due to Kranz’s comedic timing. Even though Hannigan does phone it in (get it), she is enjoyable to watch as she paces through the comic store she works at asking Sam if he has blood on his hands and if he think he might be the killer. We find out that there was a mask that Sam found in the woods that has possessed him to take on the role of this backwoods slasher (a-la Chuck Russell’s/Dark Horse Comics’ The Mask).

You Might Be The Killer is an entertaining film for the most part. While it does feel like it wears out its welcome, Kranz really sells the situation and reminds us of the charm he gave audiences in Cabin in the Woods – which might be a detriment to the film because you may pop it in after this one is done to feel fulfillment. This is a decent entry to watch in October on television (more on that below) or a streaming service when it becomes available. For slasher-fans that don’t have films like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon or The Final Girls within their reach, this film will be a nice appetizer until you have your main course.

How/When Can I See This?

Good News is that the film will premiere on SYFY this Saturday (October 6th) at 6PM (Central)