Prom Night (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Good
X OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / May 17, 2008

“Prom Night” is mildly entertaining because it lets us, the audience, know things the characters don’t, namely that the killer is lurking in the hotel where the Bridgeport High School prom is being hosted. Unfortunately, this relatively commonplace convention is the only thing the movie has going for it.

Otherwise, “Prom Night” follows the same old “dead teenager movie” clichés: Members of a group of friends wander off alone and are picked off by the killer, one by one. Yep, we’ve seen this movie before — lots.

Three years ago, Donna (Brittany Snow) was stalked by a psycho teacher (Johnathon Schaech) who became scarily obsessed with her. After inflicting atrocities upon Donna’s family, the nutcase was locked away in prison. Somehow, he escapes, just in time for Donna’s senior prom.

The stealthy lunatic sneaks into the hotel where the prom is being held, and he haunts the room Donna’s group of friends rented for the night. But Donna has an advocate in Detective Winn (Idris Elba), the cop who helped lock up the killer three years ago. When Winn learns of the teacher’s escape from prison, he tries to oversee the safety of the prom and its attendees.

That’s the premise. Much of the movie is ridiculous, such as the grand finale. Much more of it is predictable. “Prom Night” is not, by any means, necessary viewing.

Last year, a movie called “Look” gave us an opposite, much scarier scenario where a female student became obsessed with her teacher and stalked him. Variations on worn-out themes can be quite refreshing. Instead of remaking “Prom Night,” director Nelson McCormick and writer J.S. Cardone should have rethought it.

Directed by Nelson McCormick
Brittany Snow / Johnathon Schaech / Idris Elba
Thriller 88 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language)

U.S. Release Date: April 11, 2008
Copyright 2008: 277