Cherry Falls

CHERRY FALLS

The next logical step in the evolution of the postmodern slasher film after Scream, Cherry Falls (released in the year 2000) features the late great Brittany Murphy as the protagonist (a high school student named Jody Marken whose father is the sheriff).  A long-haired killer starts picking off teens in the community and carving the word “virgin” into their legs.  Jody (who breaks up with her boyfriend Kenny early in the tale) has a run-in with the murderer.  When news of the killer’s signature reaches the teen population, the students logically react by organizing an orgy in order to “get off the endangered species list.”  The adults learn of the planned sex party and dispatch police to monitor it.  Jody pieces together a dark and disturbing history about a town scandal from 27 years in the past that involved her father and may be linked to the present murders.  Jody has another encounter with the killer, who chases her (and Kenny) to the orgy.  The whole plot is woven together cleverly with a healthy dose of black humor, and the antagonist’s motivation (once revealed) makes perfect sense.  Naturally, the climax of the story (the nature of which I won’t spoil) happens at the sex party.

Cherry Falls is so good that in a just world it would have been as acclaimed and influential as Scream.  Somehow this superior horror/comedy film has faded into relative obscurity, and its writer (Ken Selden) has not had a produced credit since.  If you’re in the mood for a mature stalk-and-slash story that will keep you guessing about the identity of the killer and pull you into the world of a sympathetic female teen protagonist dealing with the pressures of growing up, track down Cherry Falls (at present available on a single DVD as part of a double feature with Terror Tract).  I wish this little gem of a horror movie had caught my attention sooner.