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Movie review: ‘Prom Night’ flunks big time

By David Phillips/Special to the Record

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Brittany Snow stars as Donna Keppel in the remake of the thriller “Prom Night.” / Screen Gems

In the wonderful tradition of teen horror flicks comes this week’s film “Prom Night,” filled with vague violence and altogether too-perfect mid-20s actors playing high-schoolers. Amidst a sorry handful of films this last weekend, “Prom Night” was the lesser of many crude evils such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and “Harold & Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay.” The weekend seemed an anomaly compared to the upcoming releases in May such as “Iron Man,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Indiana Jones.” Enough about the timing; on to “Prom Night.”

Donna Keppel is a senior at Bridgeport High who witnessed her parents’ brutal murder at the hands of an obsessed teacher; obsessed, that is, with Donna. The psychopath was of course “locked up for good,” and, of course, he escapes just in time to prey upon Donna on the night of her senior prom. Now, if we’re supposed to believe Donna, played by Brittany Snow, is a senior, I want to go to her high school. I mean come on, Scott Porter, the actor playing her date (also a senior in high school) is 28 years old.

From the eyes of an actual senior going to his prom this coming Saturday, Bridgeport High’s $100,000 prom blows Cabrillo’s out of the water. Part of the appeal of the film is the near-perfection of an ideal prom experience: perfect venue, perfect bodies, perfectly comfortable dancing (which doesn’t actually exist). The extravagance is entertaining and makes the film all the more thrilling as the dream comes crashing down.

Very little of the violence is graphic, mostly implied by facial expressions and small blood spots. The unfortunate result of the toned-down murders is that the characters’ response to the carnage is also less than believable. After losing just about everyone she loves to the maniacal killer’s blade, Donna cries a little and hugs her remaining family. The lack of aftermath leaves the audience with the unanswered question, “Well, now what?”

Advertisements for “Prom Night” appeared, of all places, in “Seventeen” Magazine, an indicator of the target audience sought by director Nelson McCormick. PG-13 sells, so throw in some language, a few innuendoes and some underage drinking and you’ve got a watered-down horror flick. The glamour of the setting can only carry a film so far, and in the case of “Prom Night” the lack of elements of a good horror film leave the viewer unsatisfied and incredulous.

(Two stars out of five.)

David Phillips is a Cabrillo High School student. His movie reviews are written for his senior project. This is his final review.