Final Exam

Final Exam is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Jimmy Huston, which stars up and coming actors at that time, including Cecile Bagdadi, Joel S. Rice, and Ralph Brown. The film pushes the ambitious yet classic direction of slasher genre narratives, adopting the traditional horror-thriller plot structure. While it could blend in among other films of the same genre, Final Exam manages to set itself apart with a unique college campus setting and its interesting dynamic of characters.

The film is set in the ambience of a quiet fictitious college, Lanier College, where the relaxation mode for students is gearing up, with the final exams ending. The main leads, Courtney (Cecile Bagdadi), Radish (Joel S. Rice), and Wildman (Ralph Brown), are amongst the few students who remain behind. The tranquility of the campus setting soon takes a disturbingly frightening turn, providing a chill that is typically the backbone of such horror narratives.

Cecile Bagdadi plays Courtney, a studious, pretty, and serious-minded coed who is focused on her studies, thus creating an image of a ‘final girl’. Joel S. Rice delivers an authentic performance as Radish, a nervous and eccentric student having a deep fascination for violent events and real crime stories. His paranoid behavior emerges as a contrast with the general carefree mood of the campus. Ralph Brown plays Wildman, a macho fraternity jock, adding another contrast in the character ensemble with his brash personality and boisterous antics.

The film suddenly descends into a feeling of dread, tension and suspense as the characters realize they are not alone on campus. The plot cleverly leverages typical college-life motifs, such as friendships, rivalries, romantic interests, and anxieties of college students, as well as the liberating and at the same time vulnerable feeling of a largely deserted campus.

The director embeds hints of satire about college and fraternity life frequently throughout the movie, which becomes apparent in humorous bits like a ludicrous fraternity prank involving staged gunfire and mass panic. The characters are not the stereotypical one-dimensional victims often seen in slasher films; instead, they are developed in interesting ways which create sympathy and connection with the audience.

What sets Final Exam apart from other slasher films of the era is its slow-burn approach. Rather than inundating viewers with frequent scenes of ghastly violence and splatter, the film builds suspense as the characters slowly come to realize the sinister presence stalking them. This gradual development allows for more in-depth character exploration and a more palpable sense of imminent danger. However, this doesn't mean that the film forsakes elements essential to slasher cinema – scenes soaked with tension, eerie atmosphere, the lurking danger, and of course, the element of shock and fear.

Final Exam does a commendable job of manipulating the serene and comforting atmosphere of a college campus into an eerie and claustrophobic playground for a lurking antagonist. The idyllic location becomes a contrasting backdrop to the horrifying events which unfold from ideal tranquillity into an unprecedented nightmare. The representation of fear and suspense is amplified by the creative yet unsettling cinematography and the resonating soundscape.

As with many classic horror films of its era, Final Exam's unconventional pace may not be everyone's taste and it lacks the complexity of groundbreaking slasher films of its time. Nevertheless, its deviation from the generic slasher formula is refreshing, and it's this aspect that has possibly given it a cult status among horror enthusiasts today.

Final Exam encapsulates the tone, style, and thematic elements of early 1980s horror cinema. Through its distinctive blend of college humor and horror under the influence of a deadly presence, the movie holds onto your curiosity from start to finish. It's a film that leaves a trace in your mind as you evolve from laughter to a state of sheer terror, with the sinister dread that follows. Yet, it also offers a melancholic reminiscence of the classic era of slasher films. Thus, for those who appreciate the early '80s-style horror-thriller films, Final Exam is a must-watch.