Written by Luke Barnes
Summary
A group of teens are saved from a grizzly death after one of their number has a vison that forewarns of the events to come, however, once safe death comes to claim each of them in a new design.
I grew up with this series, and though they are a little repetitive, it is the same gimmick every time, they are still some of my favourite horror films. I think this is in part due to the fact they never show death, yes I know some people view Tony Todd’s character as being a physical embodiment but I don’t, and that they keep things mysterious. I think doing this leads to a really creepy atmosphere through not just this film but all of them.
I also think that this first film is boosted in many ways by strong performances from Devon Sawa, it is criminal that he never came back for any of the other films in the series in a major way, Ali Larter and the always incredibly Tony Todd. Todd not only shines here but becomes a favourite of mine throughout the series.
The deaths here are not as inventive or as silly and goofy as some in later entries, but that isn’t a bad thing wholly, I liked the deaths here they felt quite real and grounded, though maybe not the teachers,
Overall, a very strong horror film that I would argue is a classic.
Pros.
The atmosphere
The scares
Todd, Larter and Sawa
The deaths
The ending
Cons.
A little repetitive
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