What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedTotally Killer
Nahnatchka Khan · Film · 2023
If you loved Totally Killer, start with Future Man (Ariel Shaffir, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Totally Killer across media.
You loved the way Totally Killer balances life-or-death stakes with the disorienting, often comedic, friction of navigating different eras and secrets.
Books on the same thread
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Explores: hidden past, maternal secrets, identity crisis.
Much like the unraveling family history in Totally Killer, this story forces a protagonist to confront unsettling maternal secrets that redefine everything she thought she knew about her past.
Fear Street
R. L. Stine · Book · 1989
Explores: Teen Angst, Small Town Secrets, Supernatural Curse.
If the retro slasher aesthetic of Totally Killer captured your imagination, you will appreciate this classic teen horror vibe that leans into the suspense of small town murder mysteries.
Yesteryear
Caro Claire Burke · Book · 2026
Explores: Social Media Satire, Survival Horror, Gender Roles.
This narrative mirrors the fish-out-of-water survival tension found in Totally Killer, using a high-concept temporal premise to satirize social structures while maintaining a sharp, thriller-focused edge throughout.
Timebound
Heather Albano · Book · 2018
Explores: Time Loops, Historical Figures, Resistance Against Tyranny.
Fans of the time travel paradoxes that drive Totally Killer will be drawn to this intricate exploration of setting time right and the heavy consequences of changing history.
Series on the same thread
Future Man
Ariel Shaffir · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Totally Killer: fish out of water.
This show shares the comedic fish-out-of-water energy of Totally Killer, following an unlikely hero tasked with shifting the future through the chaotic lens of time travel intervention.
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
Explores: Trauma, Small Town Secrets, Dysfunctional Family.
If you enjoyed the way Totally Killer connects past trauma to present-day violence, you will find this psychological deep dive into hometown secrets and dark memories hauntingly resonant.
The Way Home
Alexandra Clarke · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with Totally Killer: Time Travel Paradox.
This series captures the multi-generational family dynamics and time travel elements of Totally Killer, focusing on how reconciling the past is essential to healing present-day estranged relationships.
Russian Doll
Natasha Lyonne · Series · 2019
Explores: Mortality, Trauma, Self-Destruction.
Just as Jamie relives the past to solve a murder in Totally Killer, this show uses a surreal time loop to force its protagonist into a cycle of redemption.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
If the blend of true crime fascination and dark humor in Totally Killer kept you hooked, you will enjoy this conversational approach to exploring the macabre through community storytelling.
Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén
Spotify Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: dark human nature, criminal psychology, public fascination.
This podcast mirrors the public fascination with serial killers central to Totally Killer, offering a deep dive into the dark human nature behind the crimes that define eras.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Totally Killer a time travel movie?
Yes, Totally Killer follows a 17-year-old named Jamie who accidentally travels back in time to 1987. The premise centers on her mission to stop the Sweet Sixteen Killer from beginning his murder spree by intervening in the past before the crimes occur.
What is the premise of Totally Killer?
Totally Killer tells the story of a teenager who is transported from the present day to 1987. She arrives 35 years in the past to confront the infamous Sweet Sixteen Killer, attempting to prevent the murders before they happen in her original timeline.
Who directed Totally Killer?
Totally Killer was directed by Nahnatchka Khan. The 2023 film focuses on a time-traveling protagonist who must navigate the year 1987 to thwart the plans of a serial killer known as the Sweet Sixteen Killer before he can claim his intended victims.
Does Totally Killer involve the Sweet Sixteen Killer?
Yes, the Sweet Sixteen Killer is the primary antagonist of Totally Killer. The plot revolves around the killer returning 35 years after his initial spree, prompting the main character to travel back to 1987 to stop his violent cycle of murders from ever taking place.