At a Spanish medical school, Bárbara (Macarena Gómez), a beautiful and fashion-conscious student, dreams of a future with a plastic surgeon husband, a lovely house, multiple jobs, and two kids. Med school is for husband-shopping. While there, she goes on a joyous murder spree. Most of her victims are scumballs, but she isn’t out to punish; she’s just having fun. The police have no leads on the “Campus Killer” and end up asking the help of two students, one of whom Bárbara falls for, mistaking his talk about his work in forensics as an admission that he too is a serial killer and thus, a kindred spirit.
There’s no punches pulled or pauses for reflection. Sexy Killer leaps into the fun from moment one and keeps running. It’s an hour and a half of jokes, violence, and gore mixed into a fine paste. The 4th wall is torn down as Bárbara addresses the audience and points out how this isn’t going to be your typical slasher; she’s no victim.
Most everything is good about the film—cinematography, music, the co-stars and bit players, makeup & effects—but the real weapon is Macarena Gómez. She is the film. It didn’t matter where the plot went as long as it is going with her. She has a real skill with comedy while making it seem totally believable that, in this world, she is scary. Michael Myers has nothing on this girl. She has a long list of credits in Spain, mainly in horror films; I only know her from Dagon, where she made quite an impression but unfortunately had limited screen time. Here, it’s all about her and she owns it.
For a movie titled “Sexy Killer,” it’s a lot less sexy than expected. Bare breasts pop out in the pre-credits scene, but never again. And there are numerous times when less clothing was called for such as the oddly dressed sex scenes. It’s no coincidence that the only nudity is shown while referencing another slasher—Sexy Killer often references other horror films, never making it clear if it is homage or ridicule.
A bit more “sexy” in Sexy Killer could have raised blood pressure a touch and elevated it to the top rung of horror comedies, but it is good fun.