Movie Review ~ Departing Seniors

With the next Scream film on indefinite hold and the reboot/requel trend declining, audiences hungry for old-school slasher scares must look elsewhere to get their bloody fixes. The good news is that there never seems to be a lack of product emerging from every streaming nook and on-demand cranny; the bad news is that the quality can be spotty, and rarely are there recommendable gems.

Departing Seniors, the latest entry in the horror genre, takes a stab (har har) at the classic high school slasher narrative with a mix of commendable performances and its attempt to produce clever plot twists. While it may not break overly fertile new ground, the film, directed by Clare Cooney (an actor who appeared in 2018’s Widows), stays on track to deliver an engaging experience, mainly through stand-out performances that often outshine the lackluster script. It may be little more than another exercise in “masked killer” mayhem, but there’s a freshness to its currency that keeps you watching.

Months after a popular teen was found dead in the school’s swimming pool, the student body is just getting back to normal and preparing for end-of-the-year activities. Gay teen Javier (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, A Good Person) is a gold-star student but a notable outcast from his peers save for best friend Bianca (Ireon Roach, Knives + Skin), who always has his back. Running afoul of mean girl Ginny (Maisie Merlock) when he embarrasses her in Mr. Arda’s (Yani Gellman, 47 Meters Down) class, Javier becomes a victim of a senseless prank that goes too far, putting him in the hospital where he gains the ability to see visions of the future when he comes in contact with people (or objects, when the script deems it more convenient).

Soon, he’s witnessing weird premonitions about his classmates, including their deaths, every time he brushes up against them in the hall. With a killer targeting those closest to him, finding a motive for the murders is tough stuff, especially when the chief suspects continue to wind up dead. Can he survive long enough and keep his friends safe simultaneously before the slayer finds their way to his locker?

Jose Nateras’s screenplay unfolds with several twists on the familiar tropes found in the genre, keeping the audience, if not precisely on the edge of their seats, then firmly approaching the middle as the students face their increasingly menacing threat. The film’s commitment to subverting expectations is evident, and the plot takes unexpected turns leading up to the Big Reveal that add a refreshing element to the familiar high school slasher setup. Supernatural hocus pocus aside (I’m not convinced the whole ‘second sight’ angle was necessary), there’s a relatively sound motive in play that speaks to the real-world fears facing teens in schools nationwide, even if it may come with some questionable delivery.

However, Departing Seniors isn’t without its tedious shortcomings. Sporadically surrendering valuable forward momentum toward being overly talky, characters engage in lengthy dialogue that disrupts the pacing. It’s in these John Hughes-esque moments that Cooney tends to get lost in the drama of it all while letting the tension drain rapidly. While some exposition is required in the horror genre, there are moments where the film could benefit from allowing the suspense to do the talking. Furthermore, the film may evoke a sense of déjà vu for seasoned horror enthusiasts. Departing Seniors sometimes feels reminiscent of other high school features with a slasher/supernatural twist. While it actively pays homage to the genre, it sometimes borders on tribute at the expense of forging its distinct identity.

The acting tends to be all over the map, with Diaz-Silverio making a perfectly serviceable if at times frustratingly inert lead. At least Roach injects her character with a depth that goes beyond the typical horror movie archetypes, providing a raw authenticity that serves as an anchor amidst the chaos. That’s a welcome presence against some of the other overly earnest young actors roaming the blood-soaked hallways trying to escape a nightmarish ordeal. To the credit of the casting directors, at least these actors appear to be believably in high school and not moonlighting from a post-graduate acting summer stock company.

While it may not reinvent the wailing wheel, Departing Seniors certainly rolls along with enough energy to keep audiences entertained. And Cooney’s attention to atmospheric tension will arouse a horror lover’s interest throughout its compact run time. For fans of the genre (and we are mighty!), it’s a worthy addition to the roster, offering both the comfort of the acutely familiar and the thrill of the occasionally unexpected.