The Last Kiss Review: A Charming New Spin on Teen Horror
A first kiss already carries enough pressure without adding the ability to see someone’s death, though that is exactly where director Yoko Okumura begins The Last Kiss. Following a teenager whose new supernatural ability pulls her into a murder mystery involving her closest friends, the Blumhouse production finds a playful way into familiar slasher territory. Its horror remains relatively light, yet a clever premise, appealing cast, and satisfying final reveal give the film enough personality to stand on its own.
Familiar Slasher Territory Gets a Fresh Hook
One year after a tragic class trip, Laurel Hansen is still dealing with the emotional weight of what happened when she shares her first kiss with longtime crush Evan. Instead of the romantic moment she had imagined, the kiss gives her a vision of his death as part of a larger murder spree. With little time to determine what she has seen or whether it can be prevented, Laurel begins searching for the person responsible before her friends become the next victims.
The ability to glimpse someone’s death through a kiss gives the story an immediate hook, especially because it connects a familiar coming-of-age milestone to something frightening. Laurel’s visions create urgency while giving the mystery a supernatural rule of its own, and the film finds humor in the increasingly awkward situations required for her to understand what is happening.
From there, The Last Kiss moves comfortably through recognizable teen-horror territory, complete with suspicious classmates, buried trauma, shifting accusations, and a masked killer closing in on the group. Okumura understands the appeal of those conventions and uses them without allowing the movie to feel like a collection of references. The result feels fresh enough for a younger audience while remaining familiar to anyone who already knows the rhythm of a slasher mystery.
Humor and Horror Find an Easy Balance
Much of that appeal comes from the film’s ability to move between comedy, romance, and horror without making any of them feel out of place. The dialogue has a casual, youthful energy, and many of its funniest moments grow from the characters’ personalities instead of interrupting the story for a joke. Even when the mystery becomes more urgent, that humor keeps the group dynamic lively and prevents the premise from becoming too heavy.
The horror stays on the lighter side, though the killer’s presence is felt throughout the film. Laurel’s visions give the deaths a grim sense of inevitability, while the attacks add enough danger to remind us that the mystery has real consequences. The film rarely aims for prolonged terror or especially graphic violence, which suits the accessible tone it establishes early on.
That balance also allows the emotional parts of the story to remain present. The class trip continues to affect each character differently, connecting the current murders to grief, guilt, and the ways young people process a tragedy they were never prepared to face. Those ideas give the story enough weight to support its lighter humor without overwhelming it.
The Cast Brings Every Character to Life
The ensemble brings the film fully to life, with each performer finding a personality that feels distinct within the group. Mckenna Grace leads with humor and heart as Laurel, capturing both the embarrassment surrounding her first kiss and the growing fear attached to what it reveals. She keeps Laurel grounded even when the story asks her to accept an increasingly strange situation, making her someone worth following through each new clue.
Arkira Chantaratananond is especially memorable as Poppy, Laurel’s eccentric and fiercely committed best friend. Her delivery gives many of the movie’s funniest exchanges their energy, though the performance also carries enough sincerity to make the friendship matter beyond the comedy. Poppy’s willingness to enter Laurel’s increasingly dangerous investigation strengthens the film’s emotional center and gives Grace a lively scene partner throughout.
Jaden Michael brings an easy warmth to Evan, while Riley Davis gives Tyler a relaxed charm that fits naturally within the group. Even the smaller performances contribute to the sense that these characters have histories and relationships beyond the immediate mystery. That individuality becomes particularly important as suspicions shift, since nearly everyone feels capable of hiding something.
The performer behind the eventual reveal also handles the transition especially well—which is crucial for the genre’s endgame revelations. Once the truth comes forward, the character’s earlier behavior takes on a different meaning, and the performance pivots into something more dangerous without feeling disconnected from what came before. That change helps the climax land as both an entertaining confrontation and a convincing end to the mystery.
The Mystery Earns Its Final Reveal
A teen slasher mystery depends heavily on whether its final answer feels worth the time spent searching for it, and The Last Kiss delivers a reveal that has been thoughtfully prepared. The film places enough information (weapons, clothing, placement, etc.) throughout the story for the explanation to make sense while keeping several other possibilities alive, allowing the audience to reconsider earlier moments once the killer’s identity and motive become clear.
The supernatural premise also remains useful through the final stretch instead of fading once the mystery takes over. Laurel’s visions influence how she approaches the confrontation and reinforce the idea that seeing a possible death does not necessarily make it unavoidable. By bringing its emotional history, slasher plot, and central ability together, the ending gives the movie a stronger sense of completion than its playful tone might initially suggest.
Teen Horror With a Clear Sense of Purpose
The Last Kiss keeps its ambitions modest, aiming to provide a fun and approachable horror movie for a new generation of teen viewers. Its lighter scares and familiar structure limit how deeply the film lingers once the mystery is solved, though that accessibility feels intentional and consistent with the story Okumura wants to tell.
There is enough personality in the premise to keep it from feeling recycled, while the slasher elements offer longtime genre fans a satisfying reason to join its younger audience. The movie understands its place as a colorful, humorous entry point into teen horror and carries that identity with confidence, resulting in a balanced project that succeeds without needing to push every element to its darkest extreme.
Score: 7/10
The Last Kiss gives familiar teen-slasher territory a lively supernatural hook, supported by sharp humor, an excellent ensemble, and a reveal that rewards the buildup. The film keeps its horror light and its ambitions focused, an approach that suits a fun, thoughtful genre entry made with a clear sense of its audience.
