A misfit at Shadyside High Lori Granger (India Fowler) dreams of being a prom queen but stuck up popular girl Tiffany Falconer (FIna Strazza) taunts her and will stop at nothing to being crowned at the prom.
Then when prom night happens an axe muderer in a red raincoat slays students one by one in which the grad students are in for a night of terror.

A nice start with the narration on the head misfit student Lori Granger explaining her school and the students. If you read the books alot of the time is told by the character so these filmmakers did some fine studying here.
While everyone is getting ready for prom night it looked interesting with a student videotaping everyone in the hallways and such which looked uplifting when it's almost the last day of school before summer starts. Reminds you of those days for sure when everyone is happy to be out of there.

In classroom Lori talks to her rebellious friend Megan Rogers in which this wild child leaps up with a meatcleaver about to do something wild. However, this didn't seem natural at all and a bit corny. Yet when she does something it looks shocking and the other kids freak out along with one of them puking. Yet it's a practical joke as you will see what I mean when you watch it. So it makes up for the corny moment in the first place.

Lori works as a waitress at a diner in which stuck up popular girl Tiffany Falconer and her friends give her a rough time when they order food from her. I do admit that this time things looked natural as school bullies.

Ahh yesss... The slashings are about to begin in which a hooded masked killer in a red rain jacket is about to do one of the girls in with an axe. This was supposed to make you jump s bit when he appears but it doesn't do the trick. However, it was still well done and can please slasher fans.

Prom night starts in which alot of excitement occurs such as some of the pretty girls such as the nasty Tiffany dressed in flashy suits doing a dance on the stage which looked well choreographed along with another put upon outsider djing the music with kids giving him a roufh time. Definetly has alot of mean kids which suits the plot used in a slasher film in which you hope the killer will do them in as well.
At the table with drinks someone spots something gruesome in the punch bowl but the school demands as to what had happened. Yet they still carry on with the party. I wondered if it was a prank during this situation. Yet, it doesn't explain that. This moment is criticized for sure.

Nice dark moment with a couple in a room and the boyfriend sees his girlfriend approaching but it doesn't look pretty and then the killer does something to him with deadly school supplies. Boy this will please anyone who loves horror violence.
May I add that the killer crosses out a student in a yearbook after they do someone in as this seemed to pay a tribute to the early 80's slasher flicks such as Prom Night and Graduation Day. This was done in perfect horror style just like those two.

In another slashing moment a couple are having a discussion in another part of the school which looked uplifting but the killer takes them by surprise with an electric saw as this was supposed to be a jumping moment but just misses. Yet this was well done and perfect timing for a slasher flick.

Things get a little nasty when Tiffany gets in Lori's face and being nasty towards her to the point that you wonder if a cat fight will break out. This was strongly done in as well as nice takes on all of this. Hey I would've smacked this bitch up the head big time. This for sure makes you watch second by second on what will happen next.

What was really interesting is that both of them do a crazy dance at the prom floor strutting their stuff greatly to see whom is better in which this looked highly energetic with well focused camera shots on all of this.

Then she gets linked with the popular boy Tyler Torres as Megan bevomes concerned worrying that her friend will have a sudden change in her attitude and in a bad way which looked strongly done. It made me wonder if she will make some bad choices during the outcome of all this.

When the prom queen becomes announced the intensity rises big time when Lori freaks out about a killer on the loose. This maniac shows up at the prom in which things grow intense with fear. Plus when the killer is revealed we all think that the terror is over but trust me there's another twist to this story. Keep watching as it's one of the best moments and cleverly done too.

Bottom line is that I read the book a long time ago and don't remember it too well but I think the film version was alot different in which it should be that way in general. It seems to borror elements of Carrie and Prom Night. Also some touches of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. I always thought that the filmmakers on the last two read the books and got an idea to make elements of that into their own horror flick. It was impressive in it taking place in 1988 since we do see clips of Phantasm II playing in theatre's as well as posters on retro superstars pinned on girls bedroom walls. Check this one out for sure.

The acting is a bit average and at times over the top but some of it is decent in which India Fowler (Lori Granger) seemed to show it off in an okay type of fashion by acting still and almost expressionless as a misfit. Shows off a nice timidness as well as offering great fearful energy along with getting aggressive near the end of her performance which shines off nicely.

Suzanna Son (Megan Rogers) who played her best friend added alot of spunk and outgoing energy. She for sure brings a hype to her rebeliousness onto the screen. Shows some good emotions in other spots as well as being convincing when stressing a situation during a certain part of the flick which showed off well.

Fina Strazza (Tiffany Falconer) portrayed nicely as the stuck up popular girl in which she does a fantastic job by getting in someone's face in which I felt like smacking her she gets that nasty. However she is sometimes over the top with her whiney aggressions and so fourth but makes up for that in other spots. Does well when getting vengeful and crazy near the end of her role.

Chris Klein (Dan Falconer) seemed a bit stiff as the father and teacher at Shadyside High but can come across as somewhat funny with his vulgar attitude. He wasn't terrible and an okay choice for the role. He needed a bit of a push that's all.

David Iacono (Tyler Torres) was okay in his part as the popular boy next door. Does well with his charming attitude along with portraying an easy going persona. I liked on how he portrayed as a nicer than his crowd type of behavior and seemed to be convincing while acting that way.

Ella Rubin (Melissa) potrays someone whom is part of the snobby crowd but having a change of heart as this looked belivable in which she has a good soft spoken type of behavior as well as doing good with her calm upsetting emotions later on.

Lili Taylor (VP Dolores Brekenridge) was witty and dimwitted as her part of the school in which she offered the odd chuckle whenever she stressed a situation. Does well with her hissing and stern behavior. Yet she's not meant to be taken seriously in her role but this is in a good way.

Katherine Waterson (Nancy Falconer) shows it off nicely as a mellow mother. Shows a good mysterious type of attitude and brings it out well later on in her performance in which she certainly brings a good creepiness and intensity within all of this.

A total gorezone that the fans of this type will enjoy!!!!
Arms, heads and legs are chopped off
Persons insides are revealed
Electric saw is going through a persons head
Machette is stabbed in someone's head
Eye is stabbed by a crown
Teen is impaled by a sharp objects after falling near a staircase
Lots of bloodsheds.

The Newton Brothers composes this piece which he's pretty good with the still moments for when the killer approaches using hissing noises along with laser sounding synthesizers and airy sounds too. Yes the timing for this is perfect! Also some low sounds too when some victims are revealed with gruesome results. This works in pretty good too. Some parts for the killing scene's I heard some high pitched synthesizer music which was just okay. Needed to be a bit stronger though. The odd rumbling sounds were played too kind of like from what you'd hear in Stranger Things as the timing for this is just right.

A great songtrack by 80's groups in which there's an intrumental music for the beginning of the story by Power Glove with their song "Vengeance" in which there's perfect synthesizer music that is catchy and it makes you feel like you're watching a retro flick.
Plus has a song for the closing cradits titled "Clutch" in which it has the same type of vibe. This sounded superb and probably one of the best music tracks on this flick.

Another perfect song is "The Look" by Roxette with the popular girls doing a dance on the gymnasium stage at the prom. This was a total attention grabber and the song suits as to what they were doing.

Of course when the stuck up girl and the misfit do a challenging dance with one another the song "Gloria" by Laura Brannigan which has alot of spunk for what these two were doing. This looked highly entertaining.

Many more popular hits were played in this flick but these were the one's that were the one's that stood out the most.