Prom Night (2008) (PG-13, 2008)

common sense media says

Tedious slasher flick is both gory and boring.

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this violent (yet curiously dull) slasher-style teen horror film -- which is a loose remake of the identically named 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis movie -- includes a constant stream of stabbings, stranglings, and other murders, all of which are committed without craft, tension, or any subtlety whatsoever. It's just a string of killings and gory bloodshed. There's also some discussion of sex and sexuality, references to underage drinking, and strong language ("s--t").

Positive messages: Some discussion of class; a rival for prom queen notes that "I just want Crissy to know she can't buy everything." Crissy is also referred to as a "rich bitch." And then there are all the killings...

Violence: A total of 13 murders, mostly committed with a knife (although there are some stranglings and a shooting as well, plus scuffling, someone's face getting smashed into a mirror, and kicks to the face). Many of the murders occur off screen, and viewers never see a knife cutting or stabbing into flesh, but there's plenty of spurting blood and shots of bloody murder weapons. Several corpses with visible bloody stab wounds or lying in pools of blood are shown.

Sex: Cleavage discussed and on display; characters talk about "alone time," "looking sexy," and "getting laid." The protagonist's stalker is clearly motivated by romantic/sexual pathology. A group of older men invite female teens up to their hotel rooms; the young women laugh it off. On-screen sexuality is limited to light making out in the context of committed relationships.

Language: Language includes "goddamn," "s--t," "damn," "hell," and "bitch."

Consumerism: Only one logo visible -- Jones Soda -- although one character offers another "a Midol" for cramps.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: A group of teens hoists a beer keg into the hotel; another underage attendee is busted trying to smuggle a bottle into the prom. A third character pours alcohol from a flask into his soda. The lead character has been taking Klonpin for anxiety, but at the start of the film has not been taking it for a week: "I don't want to feel numb ... I should be a little bit nervous on prom night, right?" Later, she does take one, albeit with good reason.

Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the appeal of horror films. How would you describe the experience of watching them? Why do they so often put young women in peril? Families can also discuss the difference between shock and suspense and the difference between violence and tension. Main character Donna is dealing with a clear case of post-traumatic stress syndrome; families can talk about trying to recover from tragedy and violence.

What's the story?

Donna Kepple (Brittany Snow) is haunted by nightmares; three years ago, her teacher, Mr. Fenton (Jonathon Schaech), became obsessed with her, and that madness turned murderous. After a series of killings, Fenton was caught, and while Donna is safe with her aunt and uncle, she's still troubled by what happened to her. Now it's PROM NIGHT, and Donna and her friends are off for the crowning evening of their high school careers -- which, of course, is when viewers find out that Fenton has escaped custody. Soon, Donna and her friends are all marked for death as a killer stalks the hotel halls. ...

Is it any good?

Prom Night is a fairly plotless film, even by the low standards of horror moviemaking. From the outset, we're told who the killer is and what he wants, so there are no red herrings or misdirection, just a series of slashings and stabbings as various prom attendees and innocent bystanders are picked off one by one. Schaech's Fenton is a shabby, thinly-drawn bad guy, and Snow's Donna is a plucky, standard-issue horror film heroine. Even the superb Idris Elba (The Wire) is wasted as a cardboard caricature cop who's infuriatingly inept. Prom Night feels more generic than anything else -- like it was assembled from a box labeled "Horror Movie Scenes."

Deeply flawed, Prom Night is a by-the-numbers horror flick that confuses mere violence with real vitality and substitutes shock for suspense. Compared to better-done examples of the genre (see below), it manages to be both violent and deathly dull.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Studio: Screen Gems
Director: Nelson McCormick
Cast: Brittany Snow, Dana Davis, Johnathon Schaech
Genre: Horror
Run time: 88 minutes
Theatrical release: April 11, 2008
DVD release: August 18, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language.

Watch our review

This review was written by James Rocchi

Review It

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

thecooldude1
teen, 16 years old

Pre teens movie.

this movie was boring plus i didnt like that a adult was obbsessed with her and that he follows her to her house. other than that mild violence and language its ok for pre teens.

What other families should know

Movie Details

Starring

Genre

Prom Night (2008) (PG-13, 2008)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on Prom Night (2008)

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Watch our review

Review It

Review Prom Night (2008)

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Pre teens movie.

Good "starter" horror film.

so bad its for 9 year olds

From Gore to Giggles

Good movie. I loved it.

I Like It

Perfect for teens and iffy for Tweens

Not to good.

NoT ThE BeSt HoRrOr MoViE I'vE SeEn

DONT EAT DURING THIS MOVIE!!!!!!1

COOL COOL

perfect forolder than 10

So Fake, any tween, could see it!

Great movie for movie nights!

The Film Doesn't Have Much to Offer

good movie

More reviews ...

An independent voice for families

Age-appropriate reviews

Advice on the big issues

vote now

Will you see Prom Night (2008)?

Already seen it? What do you think?

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

Browse more movies

About our rating system

Browse our library of reviews

See what our editors recommend