In the context of slasher films, the term “final girl” has a specific definition. It refers to the last character – almost always female – left alive to confront the killer. She tends to be a virgin and/or remains fully clothed and eschews smoking, drinking and drugs. Finally, she is usually a brunette, often in contrast to a promiscuous blonde who is killed off.

But mostly that’s not the case in the 2015 thriller Final Girl, starring Abigail Breslin. Her antiheroine Veronica may be a virgin, but not for lack of effort. Liquor and hallucinogens are among her weapons. And she’s very blonde – all the better to draw out her prey.

Instead, the film’s Netflix synopsis gives away the whole story:

“A group of sociopaths that’s been killing girls in the woods for sport sets its sights on a teen who turns out to be a trained assassin.”

Oops.

Did they make a prequel film about Helena from BBC America’s Orphan Black? Or perhaps a horror/comedy, something along the lines of Club Dred (2004)? Nope, Final Girl is neither of those.

In fact, the synopsis tells a potential viewer all he or she needs to know. There is nothing for me to spoil: no twists, no context and little suspense for a thriller.

The first half concerns Veronica, an orphan, being recruited as a child and trained until young adulthood by mysterious handler William (Wes Bentley). A stripped down version of 1990’s La Femme Nikita, it offers no explanations of why or for whom.

In the second part, William puts Veronica in the field to take down four high-school “bros” whose idea of fun is to lure a pretty girl into the forest at night for a radically simplified version of 1932’s The Most Dangerous Game. There is no real hunt; the guys just run after the girl until she tires or falls, and then kill her.

Never explained: why they are on the case; how William knows about the killers; and the necessity of having them avenged by one of their prey. The locals are aware that girls are missing but aren’t motivated to ask the most basic questions. Law enforcement is not in the picture, literally.

So what does the film offer?

Director Tyler Shields presents a small-town slasher movie through a noir lens. Much of the film is set at night, at a classic diner or in the woods. Veronica’s training appears to take place mostly in empty warehouses. The girls wear prom-like dresses while William and the boys wear black suits. The characters drive classic cars from the 1950s or ’60s. It’s all very pretty, in a dark sort of way.

Filtered through the noir, the plot has a past-among-present setting – kind of like Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan (1990) without the delayed reveal. Meanwhile, the dapper brociopaths exchange pretentious dialogue – like the Life & Death Brigade from Gilmore Girls, but homicidal.

The result is a mildly interesting perspective on the slasher genre, but not interesting enough to overcome a story that plays like it came in a two-page outline rather than a fleshed-out script.

The other thing Final Girl offers is an outstanding performance by Breslin, who has been criminally underutilized recently as whiney Chanel No. 5 on Fox TV’s Scream Queens. She carries the plot and even manages to mine a little humor, betrayed by a glint in her eyes. It’s as though her precocious preteen character from Zombieland (2009) got older and more dangerous.

If you are a real cineaste who enjoys exploring variations on common genres and tropes, you might enjoy Final Girl. If you’re looking for entertainment on a Friday or Saturday night, watch Club Dread or Zombieland instead.

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Stu Robinson does writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.

Tags: Abigail Breslin, Final Girl, hunting humans, Most Dangerous Game, noir, slasher films, Tyler Shields, Wes Bentley