By: Meher Ahmad <[email protected]>

Walking into the theatre to watch “Prom Night,” I was not expecting much. After hearing mixed reviews of the movie in school, it seemed that “Prom Night” could possibly be scary, or perhaps even enjoyable.

If this is the opinion you have in your mind, let me clarify any misconceptions: “Prom Night” is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life. I was literally in pain as I sat in my seat for two hours of generic horror movie babble.

The opening scene of the movie begins with Donna, played by sub-par actress Brittany Snow, looking dramatically through the window of her car. As she comes home, she witnesses the death of her mother and the brutal attacks of the rest of her family. While this situation may seem extremely frightening, when it was played out by the less-than-moving acting skills of Snow, it was dull and even boring.

The rest of the movie was a blur of generic horror movie situations, with empty dark rooms and a deranged killer. The worst part of the movie was not the generic factor, however, but the horrendous acting. It was difficult to believe anything that was happening as the fake look of shock and horror washed over Snow’s face.

It is unfair to pick only on the acting of Snow, so I will move on to say that the entire cast did an unbearable job of portraying whatever emotion was intended. Although Snow does take the crown with her beyond fake gasps of horror, her on-screen boyfriend Bobby, played by Scott Porter, is a close second. He had an awkward grin on his face throughout the whole movie, even when he discovered his girlfriend was alone with a killer.

The final problem on the long list of problems with “Prom Night” was the sheer predictability of the whole thing. In every dramatic scene throughout the movie, it was clear exactly what was going to happen.

The only frightening thing about “Prom Night” is the fact that viewers can never have those two hours of their life back. To save yourself some cash, avoid watching “Prom Night” at all costs.

SUMMARY
Starring: Brittany Snow, Idris Elba
Director: Nelson McCormick
Release date: April 11, 2008
Grade: D-