Year: 2017
Runtime: 98 min
Language: English
Director: Tyler MacIntyre
Obsessed with social media fame, high school friends Sadie and McKayla begin their careers as amateur crime reporters. Their pursuit leads them to a dangerous serial killer, and they decide to manipulate events to boost their online notoriety. As they orchestrate increasingly gruesome murders, their friendship is tested by the pressures of national attention and the escalating consequences of their actions.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Tragedy Girls (2017), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
In the quaint Midwestern town of Rosedale, high school seniors McKayla Hooper and Sadie Cunningham find themselves deeply fascinated by the dark allure of murder and fame. They run a true crime blog named Tragedy Girls, which quickly spirals into an obsession as they become determined to achieve notoriety by any means necessary. To escalate their quest for attention, they manipulate their friend Craig Thompson as bait to attract the infamous serial killer Lowell Orson Lehmann. However, their efforts are thwarted when Lehmann dismisses their advances. Undeterred, the duo resorts to nefarious tactics, capturing Lehmann and fabricating a series of murders, shifting the blame onto him.
The disappearance of Craig sends ripples of worry throughout the community, prompting McKayla, Sadie, and their friend Jordan Welch to feign a narrative of a serial killer terrorizing the town. Yet, their plot only serves to spook Jordan’s father, Sheriff Blane Welch, who remains skeptical of their claims. Tensions rise as McKayla’s ex-boyfriend, Toby, garners more online followers than the two girls, igniting her rage. In a moment of reckless ambition, McKayla and Sadie eliminate Toby, masquerading his death as an unfortunate accident that incites community indignation. Their next target is the cheerleading captain, Syl, whose demise they meticulously stage as a homicide.
At Syl’s memorial, local firefighter Big Al pledges to uncover the truth behind the murders, blissfully unaware of the deadly games at play. Meanwhile, Lehmann attempts to create discord between McKayla and Sadie, instigating fear that Sadie plans to double-cross her. As the tension escalates, their plan turns murderous; they set their sights on Big Al, attacking him while he works out at the gym. In a brutal clash, he fights back, but ultimately falls, leaving behind a shocking reminder of their actions.
Amid the chaos, a town meeting called by Mayor Campbell ignites a media frenzy, where McKayla and Sadie manipulate the public to turn against local law enforcement, displaying the gruesome image of Big Al’s severed head to ignite fear and mistrust. Their bold display culminates in a rally pushing against authority, but their efforts fall short when Lehmann escapes and retaliates against the mayor, dismantling his authority.
A rift forms as Jordan aligns himself with law enforcement, rejecting the girls’ dubious tactics. The fallout from this decision sees McKayla and Sadie confront Jordan, only to discover he’s been secretly investigating them. This treachery leads to a dramatic showdown, with Lehmann violently interrupting, leaving Jordan’s life hanging by a thread.
As desperation mounts, McKayla breaks into Sheriff Welch’s home, rousing him to save Jordan from a fatal encounter. Meanwhile, Sadie seizes the moment to obliterate evidence of their crimes, jeopardizing their already fragile relationship. Weeks later, Sadie basks in the admiration of Sheriff Welch at a public event but pointedly excludes McKayla from her speech, leading to a devastating split.
On prom night, the tension reaches its peak as Sadie dates Jordan while McKayla finds herself allied with Lehmann. Chaos unfolds as they take the life of their teacher, and McKayla reveals the chilling truth about their childhood murders of Jordan’s mother. Unbeknownst to Sadie, Jordan overhears and attempts to escape with her, but they’re trapped by both McKayla and Lehmann in a tense confrontation.
In a shocking twist, Lehmann turns against Sadie, but McKayla intervenes and fatally shoots him, prompting an unsettling reconciliation between the girls. In their final act of defiance, they brutally hang Jordan before igniting the gymnasium, resulting in the tragic deaths of 124 innocent prom-goers.
In the aftermath, the town grapples with the horror left in their wake, while Sheriff Welch resigns, consumed by grief. McKayla and Sadie, however, appear untouched by their past atrocities, moving forward as if nothing ever happened, ready to embrace a future steeped in darkness yet again.
Last Updated: November 22, 2024 at 11:58
Still wondering what the ending of Tragedy Girls (2017) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.
At the end of Tragedy Girls, McKayla and Sadie are seen walking away from their prom celebration, which they have just set on fire, giving the appearance of a triumphant independence or rebellious victory. However, this outward display masks the true nature of their actions. Throughout the film, it becomes clear that their crimes served a deeper purpose: to increase their social media fame. By kidnapping a known serial killer, manipulating the town’s perceptions, and broadcasting their murders online, the girls managed to evade suspicion entirely, using their knowledge of serial killers and social media manipulation to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Their ability to escape justice illustrates a disturbing commentary on how digital validation and fame can push young people to extreme lengths, including murder. The film ultimately reveals that in the age of social media, people might go to any lengths for followers and recognition, blurring the lines between pursuit of online popularity and moral boundaries. The ending underscores the dark side of internet obsession, showing that McKayla and Sadie’s cleverness and ruthlessness have made them the most strategic teen killers in the horror genre—an unsettling but thought-provoking statement about modern society’s obsession with digital validation. Their victory, cloaked in a celebration of friendship or girl power, is actually a grim commentary on how the internet can distort values and encourage destructive behavior in pursuit of fame.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44
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