Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Totally Killer

Summary

• Totally Killer has a killer twist with two Sweet 16 Killers, Doug being the original seeking revenge and Chris being a washed-up true crime podcaster with self-serving motives.
• Clues about the killers' identities include Doug being a loner, Chris being too eager about the case, and both having personal connections to the victims.
• The Sweet 16 Killer's name is significant because it represents the victims' ages and their idolization of Molly Ringwald. Jamie's time travel actions drastically change her present life and set up potential sequels.

Totally Killer’s ending had a killer twist that had grave consequences for Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka). After the murders of Tiffany and Heather, Jamie rallies Pam, Marisa, and the rest of their friends to set a trap for the Sweet 16 Killer in a bid to catch him once and for all. Jamie plans for the killer to follow Marisa into the House of Horrors at the local fairgrounds, with Marisa acting as bait. As expected, the Sweet 16 Killer follows her, but he’s bombarded by Jamie and her allies. Ultimately, Kara delivers the final blow to the killer while confirming her innocence all along.

The killer is revealed to be Doug, Trish’s boyfriend. Jamie discovers that Heather, Tiffany, and Marisa invited Trish over to their house under false pretenses and got her drunk for information. Yet another Sweet 16 Killer is revealed — this time, it’s Chris Dubusage, who used Amelia’s time to travel back to 1987. In the midst of Jamie getting home on the Quantum Drop, she and Chris fight along with Pam, who survives. Jamie shoots Chris with a nail gun and he is destroyed by the time machine. Jamie makes it home to see that her mom is still alive, but her life now looks completely different from when she left.

Totally Killer’s Killer Twists & Full Plan Explained

Totally Killer has a major twist as it’s revealed there are two Sweet 16 Killers instead of one. Doug was the original killer, and his plan was to seek revenge on Tiffany, Heather, and Marisa for driving Trish to her death. He blamed them for getting Trish drunk and letting her drive home, after which she was killed in an accident. Doug wanted them to suffer, and he had the best cover-up and opportunity to pull it off because he was pretty much dismissed by everyone. Beneath the mask, no one would have suspected it was Doug, so the reveal was surprising to all involved — until his motives were discovered.

With Jamie looking for one Sweet 16 Killer, that there could be two never crossed her mind. Chris was a washed-up true crime podcaster, and his motives were far more self-serving than Doug’s. Chris pretended to be Pam’s friend in the present, but he ultimately donned the Sweet 16 Killer’s mask so that he could refresh interest in the case. After all, no one’s invested in unsolved murders from over 30 years ago. Chris killed Pam to gain attention and continue his podcast, perhaps feeling like he could step out of his father’s shadow by discussing the case with renewed fervor. Killing Jamie would have ensured he was never caught.

Every Clue Pointing To The Sweet 16 Killer's Identities

In hindsight, it made no sense that the Sweet 16 Killer would return after three decades, and Chris was a bit too eager about the case. He had also been close with Pam, which was a big red flag considering she had never told anyone about it. Chris basically used Pam, exploiting her information on the killer. Another clue is how bitter he was; Chris didn’t show it, but the constant praise of his Pulitzer-winning father put him on edge and fueled his actions. Once he was introduced to the time machine, his investment in it and learning what Jamie was up to was a clue to his killer identity.

Doug being a bit of a loner was also a giveaway. He was extremely nice, but as an outcast, it was easier to dismiss him because everyone else did. The biggest clue was the fact that he mentioned taking karate, and he was at Tiffany’s party the night he killed her. Having never been invited, then seen afterward, it would have been easy to sneak in with the mask on while no one was paying attention. Doug’s image was perhaps too squeaky clean, which is why he should’ve been a suspect all along — his identity as the killer was less obvious than the people Jamie was considering.

The Deeper Significance Of The Sweet 16 Killer's Name

It seems obvious that the Sweet 16 Killer’s name comes from stabbing his victims 16 times, but why 16 specifically? The number itself not only refers to the victims' ages at the time of their deaths, but to the fact that their group was called “the Mollys.” Pam and her friends idolized Molly Ringwald, an 80s teen icon at the time, and the actress was in the film Sixteen Candles. It’s possible Doug made that connection and decided it was a perfect number of times to stab them. What’s more, Doug's girlfriend Trish died when she was 16, and so the number holds great significance in that sense.

Everything Jamie’s Time Travel Actions Change In The Present

Jamie returns to her life, but it’s far different to how she left it. The details of her family life are huge; since Pam and Blake got together much earlier, Jamie now has a 34-year-old brother, whose name just so happens to be Jamie, who is married with a daughter. Jamie herself is now “Colette,” and Pam is on speaking with her mother, signifying they have a much closer relationship than they did previously. Amelia and Lauren are more or less the same, but Randy is now Jamie’s high school principal in place of Doug. Kara is the chief of police, though she’s still smoking weed.

Lurch, Trish’s brother, who was previously not on Jamie’s radar, founded a video game company and an anti-bullying organization. Eddie Royal’s music became softer, and his band name changed entirely. Interestingly, Chris’ life is the most wildly different — after seeing his father die on TV as a teen, he didn’t grow up to be a true crime podcaster at all. Rather, Chris went to live the rest of his life at a monastery in India. Without his obsession with the Sweet 16 Killer, he was no longer a danger to Jamie’s family.

Totally Killer’s Genre Mashup & Influences Explained

A big part of what makes Totally Killer so fun is its genre mashups. The horror film borrows from Doc Brown’s DeLorean, is an item used by people on the daily, making it less suspect.

Jamie also goes back in time where she ends up interacting with her parents and changing her life. And when the group goes to the cabin, it’s a clear reference to The Cabin in the Woods. Notably, the film looks to the 80s in of the effect Molly Ringwald had on teen girls, and Totally Killer also plays into the teen movie tropes of the decade Jamie lands in.

How Jamie’s Ending Sets Up Totally Killer 2

A sequel hasn’t been announced for Totally Killer, but the film’s ending certainly leaves the door open for more. Jamie’s life is completely upended after time traveling, and, while Doug is killed and Chris is no longer a threat, it’s possible the changes made to the timeline could birth a new Sweet 16 Killer. In the vein of Scream, the next killer could be a copycat, just like Chris. Perhaps another true crime podcaster could emerge. On the other hand, Chris could also return to exact his revenge on Jamie for thwarting his original plans. Just because the timeline changed doesn’t mean he doesn’t have ghost memories of what happened.