Final Girl (2015)

Final Girl is a sleek little revenge thriller that plays like a neon-lit fairy tale wandered into the woods—stylized, sharp-edged, and oddly playful even as it keeps its knife close. Tyler Shields leans hard into mood and imagery, and the film’s confidence is boosted by Abigail Breslin, who gives Veronica a cool, controlled presence that makes the cat-and-mouse tension genuinely fun to watch. It’s less about realism than about comeuppance with a glossy, almost dreamlike vibe, the kind of movie that knows exactly what sensation it wants to leave on your skin. Fair warning: its subject matter brushes up against assault and abuse themes, so it won’t be for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for an ambitious, stylish thriller where the balance of power tilts in satisfying ways, it’s an easy recommendation.

Final Girl wants to be a slick, revenge-tinged fairy tale about a young woman turning the tables on would-be predators, and the premise has a pulpy, midnight-movie appeal. The problem is the execution: the script feels thin and oddly stitched together, with clunky dialogue, hazy motivations, and a “style first, substance later” vibe that can make the whole thing feel amateurish instead of tense. It also leans into tasteless subject matter (sexual violence, assault, abuse) without the emotional weight or insight to justify it, so it may come off as exploitative rather than cathartic. If you can enjoy a moody, music-video thriller for its atmosphere and a committed lead performance, you might get something out of it—but if you need tight writing, believable characters, or sensitive handling of dark themes, this one will likely frustrate you.