Sadie and McKayla host an online true crime show and take matters into their own hands to generate viral content. They seem to have it all figured out, but the law, a serial killer, and boyfriends test the strength of their friendship.
Tragedy Girls has the hyper-reality of a Ryan Murphy TV show, which can get grating at times. At it’s worst, it feels like Glee with murder in lieu of song-and-dance. At its best, we’re treated to the comic absurdity of planning and executing such crimes; some scenes remind me of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, as the killer fumbles the bottle of chloroform or the victim says something like, “If I’m gonna be murdered, I’m so happy it’s you.”
The movie pulls no punches, which makes for some surprises in the third act. It’s an odd feeling when the “happy ending” plays out the way this one does. That macabre twist on the protagonist/final girl, plus the commentary on the “dark side of social media”, make this a little bit deeper of a watch than the glossy cinematography lets on.
Shout outs to Kevin Durand (Lost) and perpetual-teen Jack Quaid (Scream), who have standout performances.
Grade: B