Directed by:
Nelson McCormickScreenplay:
J.S. CardoneCinematography:
Checco VareseComposer:
Paul HaslingerCast:
Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Johnathon Schaech, Jessica Stroup, Joshua Leonard, Tatum Adair, Jessalyn Gilsig, Idris Elba, Ming-Na Wen, Linden Ashby (more)Plots(1)
It's been three years since her family was murdered by a teacher obsessed with her, and Donna (Brittany Snow) is getting ready to go to the prom with her boyfriend, Bobby (Scott Porter). Now living with her aunt and uncle, Donna has just started having nightmares again about the tragedy, especially the part where she was hiding under the bed as she watched the teacher, Richard Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), kill her mother. On prom night, Detective Winn (Idris Elba), who handled the original case, is suddenly told that three days ago Fenton had broken out of the psychiatric hospital where he was imprisoned, and is now missing. With a strong suspicion that Fenton will be heading after Donna to fulfill what he believes is his destiny--to be with her--Winn and Detective Nash (James Ransone) go to the prom, which is being held in a lavish hotel, to keep their eyes on Donna and to watch out for Fenton. But Fenton is a crafty villain, already on another murderous rampage as he makes his way toward Donna, who he believes belongs to him and only him. Nelson McCormick's remake of the 1980 thriller PROM NIGHT, which starred scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, has been completely reimagined by screenwriter J.S. Cardone. Instead of focusing on the body count and grisly methods of murder, McCormick--who has directed episodes of such hit television shows as E. R., COLD CASE, and HOUSE--delves more into the mind of the characters, especially Donna, Fenton, and Winn. The creepy mood is enhanced by cinematographer Checco Varese's shadowy photography and Paul Haslinger's eerie score. Dana Davis gives an excellent supporting performance as Donna's friend Lisa, who is determined to be named prom queen over snobby rich girl Crissy Lynn (Brianne Davis). (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
An average representative of the teenage-slasher subgenre. Formally speaking, it’s good, but when it comes to the story and everything around it, it’s a dud. It has a lot of shallow and cheap jump-scares that, if anything, at least manage to keep the viewer conscious during the leisurely pace of the first 60 minutes. Prom Night is one cliché after the next, the murders are hardly seen (they take place mostly out of frame), and the ending is something that only someone who’s never seen a slasher can’t see coming. This isn’t a film for horror fans, it’s only for American teens and that is bloody clear.
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Isn’t it a bit obsolete to make a horror movie like this in this day and age?
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Another and completely unnecessary variation on the rather clichéd I Know What You Did Last Summer. The main faces, the murderer, and the location where the action takes place may have changed, but the rest of the concept is the same. So we can look forward to standard jump-scares, the same twists, and a predictable ending. The light exaggeration and relatively watchable main characters can be considered a positive, although the dialogues sometimes feel a bit forced.
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"The Prom" is a bad movie and it proves it every second. It is predictable, it lacks creativity, it lacks good performances, it is empty and it lacks tension, which is probably the biggest problem. You will only watch the film out of obligation if you have already started it. This definitely should not be the direction in which a slasher should go. But that genre itself can hardly bring anything truly stunning.
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