35 years ago three 16-year-old girls were butchered by an unknown maniac eventually christened the "sweet 16" killer. Although one young lady, Pam (Julie Bowen), received a threatening note, she was spared -- until the killer shows up again in 2023 and kills her. Pam's grieving daughter, Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), seeks shelter in a time machine built by a friend when the killer pursues her, and inadvertently winds up back in the past on the very day the first murder is to occur. She decides to do everything she can to not only save her mother from her ultimate fate, but save the other girls as well. But it won't be easy, as her teenage mother (Olivia Holt) and her friends are basically all "mean girls." She also finds out that events are not unfolding exactly as they did in the past, meaning no one is safe ...
While I could have done without the film's flippant approach -- obviously trying to come off like a Scream movie -- I must say that the screenplay has some inventive and clever aspects to it. There's a very good sequence dealing with a "Quantum Drop" spaceship ride in the carnival, and more than one good twist. The identity of the killer is a complete surprise but there are still a couple of surprises even after the maniac, who actually has a solid motive, is unmasked. However, haven't we all had enough of mean girls and dumb jocks in horror movies? Shipka and the rest of the cast go through their paces competently. There are frequent references to Back to the Future.
Verdict: Despite the sillier aspects, this is a decent time-travel slasher movie. ***.
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