Prom Night: The Horror Flop That's Becoming A Netflix Queen
No matter how bad your prom was, it likely doesn't compare to the nightmarish horror flick "Prom Night" — either in terms of the sheer terror inflicted upon its characters or the embarrassment of its abysmal critical reception.
When "Prom Night" was originally released in April 2008, critics panned the film for its predictable plot, aimless pacing, and boring visual style. Moreover, the fact that it elicited direct comparisons to the original "Prom Night" didn't help either. This original film, directed by Paul Lynch and featuring Leslie Nielsen alongside the legendary scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, didn't win critical acclaim. However, it still managed to outshine its successor. Despite debuting in the number one spot at the domestic box office and ultimately recouping its modest budget, the 2008 remake wound up being every bit as forgettable as critics thought it was. With a dismal 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 17/100 score on Metacritic, you likely wouldn't hear much mention of it among horror enthusiasts.
That may change, however, as the film finds a new audience on Netflix. Over the past week, "Prom Night" has been comfortably situated in the streamer's Top Ten list, meaning it's currently among the most popular titles available to watch on the platform. Before you get swept up in the film's surprising second shot at popularity, you may want to read a bit further to see if "Prom Night" is worth all the fuss.
Is the Prom Night remake worth the hype?
Directed by Nelson McCormick, the filmmaker behind 2009's "The Stepfather" and 2013's "Killing Kennedy," the "Prom Night" remake follows a high schooler named Donna (Brittany Snow) as she tries to navigate senior prom while coping with residual trauma stemming from the vicious murder of her family just three years earlier. To make matters worse and in true slasher fashion, the man behind her suffering, a predatory teacher named Richard Fenton — played by Johnathon Schaech, widely recognized for his depiction of DC Comics gunslinger Jonah Hex in the Arrowverse — somehow escapes from prison... "And prom's tomorrow?!" In addition to Snow and Schaech, "Prom Night" features the talents of Dana Davis, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, and even Idris Elba.
Some online users appear to be excited by the film's resurgence on Netflix, whether they had previously seen it when it premiered in 2008 or were encountering it for the first time on the streamer. Twitter user @_taayziaa shared that the film was one of their "favs," while @Jada_thedon wrote, "I love this mf movie." One user newly acquainted with "Prom Night" jokingly compared it to a Lifetime movie. Another wrote, "This movie prom night crazy af ... I can't believe I never saw it before." Clearly, "Prom Night" is making a strong impression online, perhaps making it worthy of a spot on your dance card.