TRAGEDY GIRLS: Like Them (or Die)

Shallow people are scary.

Tragedy Girls, a dark comedy directed by Tyler MacIntyre, is the equivalent of an Instagram account you follow just to look at pretty food. The lighting is perfect in every post, the angle is always well-considered, and the sushi (or the gelato or the golden latte) is reliably framed with precision.

Everything looks great, but something is missing.

In this slick, weird, and often silly satire, Alexandra Shipp and Brianna Hildebrand star as two social media savvy high school students whose hobbies include stalking real life serial killers and building their brand at every given opportunity (#TragedyGirls).

The aspiring internet stars are seniors looking to get the most out of their last year before college, and in between cheerleading practice and prom planning they make the time to start secretly murdering people — all for the sake of bringing traffic to the videos they post online.

Horror fans will likely appreciate the gleeful gore depicted in Tragedy Girls. The movie also seems to aim for the hearts of those who love slightly skewed teen films like The Craft, Mean Girls, and But I’m a Cheerleader.

Unfortunately, though the lead actresses do hold the film together with a confident and twisted chemistry, overall Tragedy Girls lacks the depth of its weirdo predecessors. It’s done its homework and knows which boxes to check, but ultimately misses the mark when it comes to feeling human or authentic.

But maybe that’s the point? Either way, this isn’t a bad way to spend 90 minutes if you’re a fan of slapstick, blood, and gore. The supporting cast is undeniably strong, featuring actors like Craig Robinson, Josh Hutcherson, and Kevin Durand, and the action accelerates at a quick pace to match the attention span of the modern day scroller.

Tragedy Girls might not be the most memorable teen film to come along, but it’s fun while it lasts.